i^;^| 
^  fei 

Cr  I'l^r-  ,  v  r* 


THE  SIWASH 


THEIR 


LIFE  LEGENDS  AND  TALES 


PUGET  SOUND  AND  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST 


FULLY    ILLUSTRATED 


BY  J.  A.  COSTELLO 


SEATTLE 
THE  CALVERT  COMPANY 

716  FRONT  STREET 

1895 


COPYRIGHT,  1895,  BY 
J.  A.  COSTELLO 

AND 

SAM  TEL  F.  COOMBS 


to 


PRKRACK 


The  excuse  for  this  book  is  that  it  is  the  first  attempt  to  depict  the  life  or  ethnology  of 
<^  the  maze  of  Indian  tribes  on  Puget  Sound,  and  it  is  believed,  will  be  found  not  wholly  un- 

interesting. It  has  been  the  aim  to  attain  as  nearly  the  facts  in  every  instance  as  possible 
which  in  any  way  lead  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  natives  of  the  country  as  they 
*xT^  were  found  by  the  first  whites  to  arrive.  Mika  mam-ook  mika  turn-turn  de-late  wa-wa. 

Ko-pet  mika  ip-soot  halo  mika  turn-turn  ko-pa  o-coke.  De-late  wa-wa  mika  turn-turn, 
nan-ich  Sahg-a-lie  Tyee;  my  heart  speaks  truthful  and  I  hide  nothing  I  know  concerning 
the  things  of  which  I  speak.  My  talk  is  truthful  as  God  sees  me. 

From  the  old  pioneer  and  the  more  intelligent  native  have  all  the  material  facts  been 
drawn,  and  as  these  opportunities  will  not  endure  for  many  years  longer  it  is  the  belief  and 
hope  that  this  work  will  find  an  enduring  place  in  the  home  and  public  libraries. 

For  material  aid  in  the  compilation  of  the  historical  and  pictorial  matter  of  this  work 
the  author  is  indebted  to  Samuel  F.  Coombs,  one  of  the  few  pioneers  who  has  a  genuine 
interest  in  the  preservation  of  the  life  and  habits  and  traditions  of  the  aboriginees;  H.  A. 
Smith,  of  Smith's  cove;  Rev.  Myron  Eels  for  valuable  information  and  assistance,  touch- 
ing the  Skokomish  Indians;  Edward  Morse,  son  of  Eldridge  Morse,  than  whom,  probably 
none  have  a  truer  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  early  Indian  life  on  the  Sound;  E.  H. 
Brown,  and  to  W.  S.  Phillips,  F.  Leather  and  Raphael  Coombs,  artists.  v 

SEATTLE,  December  14,  1895. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I  PAGE 

A  bit  of  history I 

CHAPTER  II 
Fifty-four  forty  or  fight .         .         .         .         4 

CHAPTER  III 
Pioneers  of  the  forties 6 


CHAPTER  IV 
Siwash  characteristics         .............       10 

CHAPTER  V 
The  Flathead  group 13 

CHAPTER  VI 
The  Chinook  la  lang 15 

CHAPTER  VII 
Traditions  of  Vancouver's  appearance 17 

CHAPTER  VIII 
The  Old-Man-House  tribe 19 

CHAPTER  IX 
The  Twana  or  Skokomish  tribe 33 

CHAPTER  X 
Do-Ka-Batl,  a  great  spirit  .         ............       46 

CHAPTER  XI 
Their  game  of  sing-gamble        ............      51 

CHAPTER  XII 
Twana  Thunderbird 53 


Vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIII 
Superstition  their  religion 57 

CHAPTER  XIV 
Their  daily  existence 62 

CHAPTER  XV 
Legend  of  the  first  frog 69 

CHAPTER  XVI 
Another  man  in  the  moon 71 

CHAPTER  XVII 
S'Beow  and  his  grandmother 72 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
The  demon  Skana 74 

CHAPTER  XIX 
The  fall  of  Snoqualm 75 

CHAPTER  XX 
Legend  of  the  Stick-pan 77 

CHAPTER  xxi 

The  magic  blanket     ..............       79 

CHAPTER  XXII 
Legend  of  Flathead  origin .       81 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
Legend  of  the  first  flood    .............       82 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
Origin  of  the  sun  and  moon 83 

CHAPTER  XXV 
Skobia  the  skunk 84 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
The  extinct  Shilshoh  tribe 86 

CHAPTER  XXVII 
Quinaiults  and  Quillayutes 90 


CONTENTS  Vll 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 
Tradition  of  a  great  Indian  battle 99 

CHAPTER  XXIX 
Sealth  and  allied  tribes       .............     102 

CHAPTER  XXX 
The  Makah  tribe 115 

CHAPTER  XXXI 
Footprints  of  unknown  travelers 122 

CHAPTER  XXXII 
Some  neighborly  tribes      .         .        .        .        .         .         .         .        .        .         .        .         .124 

CHAPTER  xxxin 

Totemism  and  superstitions        .         .        .         .         .        .        .        .        .        .  •  .     132 

CHAPTER  xxxiv 

Mythology  and  native  history   ............     139 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
Yalth  and  the  butterfly 142 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 
Potlatch  and  Devil  dance •  145 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 
The  T'Klinkits  and  Aleuts 148 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
The  Indian  and  the  south  wind          ...........     156 

CHAPTER  XXXIX 
Pleasure  and  profit  in  the  marsh 159 

CHAPTER  XL 
Indians  in  the  hop  fields 162 

CHAPTER  XLJ 
Legend  of  the  crucifixion 166 

CHAPTER  XLII 
Romance  in  real  life 168 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Vancouver's  ship  (  frontispiece  )  PAGE 

On  the  Sound          ..............  3 

Sunlight  on  the  water         .............  9 

Typical  Siwash  face 10 

A  Klootchman    .         .         .  •                .                  .         ...         .         .                  .         .  n 

L,a  Belle  Klootchman .         .  12 

Launching           ...............  16 

Paddling          ................  18 

All  that's  left  of  Old-Man-House 20 

Wm.  Deshaw           ..............  22 

Grand  potlatch 25 

Old-Man-House  village  .............  28 

Digging  clams     ...............  32 

Guardian  spirit  Totem  .............  41 

Wolf  mask 42 

Wolf  mask     ...............  44 

Bowl  and  spoon,  by  Twana  Indians 47 

Vignette  of  Chief  Seattle 50 

Night  around  the  sing-gamble       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         ...         .  53 

The  Twana  Thunderbird  mask ,  .  .         .54 

Box  made  of  slate,  carving 56 

Thunderbird,  Dakotah  Indians          ..........         .58 

Ojibwa,  flying  Thunderbird   .         .         .         .         ...         .         .         .         .         .         .  59 

Haida  Thunderbird  head  .............  60 

Ojibwa  Thunderer 61 

Building  Siwash  caninr      .............  63 

Symbolic  drawing  ..............  68 

Indian  implements    ..............  76 

Face  mask  of  Twanas 83 

Charm  mask                                  , 84 

Stone  and  copper  war  clubs •                .        .     ,  .        .        .        .  85 

Quinaiults  hunting  the  hair  seal        ...         tj       .......  97 

Copper  and  iron  daggers         .         .         .         .                  .         .         .         ...         .          .  99 


ILLUSTRATIONS  X 

Twana  war  clubs         ..............  100 

A  Quinaiuk  hut 101 

Chief  Sealth 102 

Oldest  house  in  King  county no 

Duke  of  York 112 

East  Indian  carving 113 

Canoe  head  Totem 114 

Totein  column,  northern  Indian    .         .         .        .         .         .         .      .  .         .        .         .  126 

The  bear  mother 129 

Haida  child  dance  at  Houkan       ...         .........  130 

Haida  Thundennask 133 

Skamson  the  Thunderer ,...."..  137 

Corner  of  Houkan  village 138 

Haida  grave-yard 140 

Mrs.  Schooltka 143 

Silver  and  copper  ornaments 144 

Quinaiult  tribesman 147 

Yakutat  Alaska 149 

Volcano  of  Boguslof 151 

Kodiak  Alaska        ..............  153 

"Kla-how-ya" 157 

Spearing  the  hair  seal 158 

Indian  duck  hunting 160 

Klootchman  gathering  rushes 161 

An  educated  Indian 163 

Stone  hatchets 164 

Sea  otter  lookout 165 

Beaver  marsh 167 


THE  SIWASH 
CHAPTER  I 

A   BIT  OF  HISTORY 

Early  explorations  of  the  Northwest  coast  now  embraced  in  the  limits  of  the 
state  of  Washington  came  after  the  discovery  and  occupation  of  the  coast 
further  south.  Unlike  the  Mexican  and  California  conquests  it  was  devoid  of 
wild  and  extravagant  fact  or  fancy.  There  is  found  in  the  old  annals  no  men- 
tion of  barbaric  splendor,  no  great  empires  or  extensive  cities,  no  magnificent 
spoils  to  be  carried  away. 

The  Spaniards  first  laid  claim  to  the  island  of  Vancouver  in  1774.  During 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  when  England  was  occupied  with  her  rebellious 
subjects  on  the  Atlantic  sea  board,  Perez  Heceta  and  other  Spanish  navigators, 
explored  and  took  possession,  in  the  name  of  their  sovereign,  of  the  largest 
island  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

What  is  now  the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  or  at  that  time  Anian,  had  been 
explored  by  trading  vessels  from  Spanish  settlements  along  the  Mexican  coast, 
and  doubtless  by  navigators  of  other  nationalities,  but  it  was  not  until  near  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  that  the  Northwest  coast  became  disputed  ter- 
ritory between  Spaniards,  English,  Russians  and  Americans.  In  1688,  Mar- 
tinez and  Haro  were  dispatched  by  the  government  to  the  Pacific  Northwest, 
to  guard  their  newly  claimed  possessions,  and  here  in  the  following  year,  Mar- 
tinez seized  a  couple  of  English  craft  and  immediately  embroiled  his  parental 
country  in  a  serious  dispute  with  Great  Britain.  This  was  the  initial  move- 
ment in  that  spirited  competition  between  the  two  rival  nations  which  only 
ended  when  the  Spaniards  finally  succumbed  to  British  diplomacy  and  betook 
themselves  to  their  southern  possessions. 

Captain  Cook,  the  English  navigator,  who  later  fell  a  victim  to  the  savage 
inhabitants  of  the  Sandwich  islands,  was  sent  over  by  his  government  a  few 
years  after  the  Spanish  occupation  of  the  island,  to  discover,  if  possible  a  north- 
west passage  which  should  unite  the  widely  separated  waters  of  the  Atlantic 


2  THE    SIWASH 

and  Pacific.  Cook  perpetuated  the  memory  of  this  voyage  by  giving  names  to 
a  number  of  capes  and  promontories,  chief  of  which  is  Cape  Flattery.  At  that 
time  the  waters  of  Fuca  strait,  Puget  Sound  and  lands  adjoining  had  not  been 
christened  by  those  names  by  which  they  are  now  known. 

English  navigators  explored  and  gave  names  to  Queen  Charlotte  islands  and 
the  surrounding  waters  soon  after  the  occupation  of  the  larger  island  of  Van- 
couver, but  they  appear  not  to  have  visited  the  waters  of  the  Georgian  gulf 
until  some  years  afterwards. 

Numbers  of  navigators  sent  out  by  English  companies  visited  the  Northwest 
coast  prior  to  the  voyage  of  Captain  Cook  in  1785,  and  he,  in  succeeding  years 
by  many  others  who  followed  close  upon  his  heels,  giving  names  to  and  explor- 
ing channels  and  passages  on  the  west  side  of  Vancouver  island.  Among  the 
latter  navigators  who  visited  the  country  from  1785  to  the  close  of  the  Eigh- 
teenth century  were  Captain  Portlock  in  the  ship  King  George,  the  ship  Queen 
Charlotte,  Captain  Dixon,  the  latter  naming  the  Queen  Charlotte  islands,  Dixon 
strait,  etc.  Then  there  was  the  Imperial  Eagle,  Captain  Barclay,  who  sailed 
into  the  waters  of  Barclay  sound,  since  which  they  have  perpetuated  the  name 
of  the  worthy  captain.  Captain  Barclay  sailed  into  the  mouth  of  Fuca  straits 
and  sent  a  boat-out  on  a  short  exploring  expedition.  He  then  passed  on  south 
of  Cape  Flattery,  where  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  a  boat's  crew  at  the 
hands  of  the  savages.  Captain  Meares  came  the  following  summer,  visited 
Clayoquot  sound,  gave  the  name  to  Fuca  straits,  christened  Tatoosh  island,  and 
sailed  along  the  coast  southward  to  Shoalwater  and  Deception  bays,  and  on  to 
Cape  Lookout,  and  thence  retraced  his  steps  to  Barclay  sound.  While  here  an 
exploring  party  of  twelve  men  under  First  Officer  Duffin  were  attacked  by  the 
Indians  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  the  ship,  after  being  severely  wounded. 
The  vessel  soon  after  returned  to  Nootka  sound,  where  the  ship  Iphigenia,  Cap- 
tain Douglas,  and  the  sloop  Washington  had  arrived,  followed  soon  after  by 
the  Columbia,  Captain  Kendrick,  from  Boston.  A  new  vessel  had  been  built 
at  Nootka  during  that  year,  and  was  christened  Northwest  America,  which 
sailed  soon  afterwards,  accompanied  by  the  Iphigenia  and  Felice. 

Captain  Gray,  of  the  Washington,  wintered  on  the  west  coast  of  Vancouver 
island  in  1788,  and  the  following  year  circumnavigated  the  island,  explored  the 
west  coast  of  Queen  Charlotte  island  and  called  it  Washington  island.  He 
had,  also,  during  this  winter,  a  residence  at  Clayognut  harbor.  Captain  Gray 
built  a  fortification,  and  launched  a  small  vessel,  which  he  sent  to  Queen  Char- 
lotte island,  previous  to  his  sailing  for  the  Atlantic  coast.  George  Vancouver 
did  not  come  till  1792. 

Soon  afterwards  Gray  took  command  of  the  Columbia,  sailed  away  for  Bos- 
ton and  returned  on  a  second  voyage,  and  entered  and  named  the  Columbia 
river. 


A    BIT    OF    HISTORY  3 

Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  explored  the  interior  of  Washington  territory  dur- 
ing Jefferson's  presidency  and  settlements  were  made  by  the  Hudsons  Bay 
Company  in  1828.  The  renowned  Whitman  came  in  the  3o's  to  the  Walla 
Walla  country  and  Americans  began  to  settle  in  1845  on  this  side,  then  a  part 
of  the  Oregon  territory. 

The  name  Puget  Sound,  as  given  by  Vancouver,  the  British  navigator,  in 
1792  extended  only  to  the  waters  south  of  Point  Defiance,  near  Tacoma.  The 
waters  north  of  this  point  were  named  Hood's  canal,  Admiralty  inlet,  Posses- 
sion sound,  Rosario  straits,  Gulf  of  Georgia,  etc. 

The  name  Puget  Sound  afterwards  was  applied  to  all  the  waters  included  in 
the  American  possessions  south  of  British  Columbia. 

The  Greek  pilot  Juan  de  Fuca  is  supposed  to  be  the  first  man  who  ever  sailed 
into  these  placid  waters.  He  thought  he  had  at  last  found  the  ' '  Northwest 
Passage,"  but  finding  that  such  was  not  the  case,  he  took  possession  of  the 
country  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  Spain  and  then  made  his  way  back  to  Mex- 
ico. The  straits  of  Fuca  are  about  12  miles  in  width  and  100  miles  long  from 
its  beginning  to  where  it  is  lost  in  the  many  bays  and  fjiords  and  waters  that 
surround  the  numerous  islands  at  its  head.  There  is  perhaps  no  body  of  water 
that  is  as  secure  for  the  navigator  as  the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  there  being 
no  rocks  or  shoals  in  it.  These  northern  waters  are  filled  with  numerous 
islands  and  the  character  of  the  country  is  almost  the  same  from  the  4yth  to  the 
6oth  parallel. 


CHAPTER  II 

FIFTY-FOUR   FORTY   OR   FIGHT 

Oregon  was  the  name  given  to  the  country  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains 
and  thought  to  extend  to  54  degrees  40  minutes  north.  England  also  claimed 
the  entire  territory.  In  1827  a  treaty  of  joint  occupation  was  formed,  termin- 
ated in  1846  by  the  United  States  and  it  seemed  for  a  time  likely  to  embroil  the 
two  countries  in  war.  A  compromise  was  however  effected  fixing  the  interna- 
tional boundary  at  the  49th  parallel,  and  through  the  good  offices  of  the  Ger- 
man Emperor,  the  beautiful  San  Juan  islands  were  at  last  given  to  the  American 
government.  It  had  been  said  in  the  English  parliament,  by  Sir  Robert  Peel : 
"  England  knows  her  rights  and  dares  maintain  them  ;"  while  Wentworth,  of 
Illinois,  in  a  speech  before  congress  in  January,  1844  said  :  "I  think  it  our 
duty  to  speak  freely  and  candidly  and  let  England  know  that  she  can  never 
have  an  inch  of  the  country  claimed  as  a  part  of  the  United  States."  Such  is 
in  brief  the  history  of  Washington  prior  to  the  actual  occupation  and  settle- 
ment along  in  the  latter  40*5  and  the  early  50*3.  Of  these  we  shall  speak  more 
fully. 

Many  yet  living  within  her  borders  and  enjoying  the  benefits  of  mature  and 
full-fledged  statehood  remember  the  time  when  Washington  was  an  almost 
unexplored  wilderness,  silent  and  tomblike  as  the  Sphinx.  The  first  faint 
echoes  of  civilization  were  heard  only  along  the  shorelines  of  its  inland  sea,  or 
along  the  water  course  of  its  debouching  rivers.  The  vast  and  wealth-laden 
interior  was  unknown,  the  inner  secrets  of  the  Dark  Continent  today  being  per- 
haps better  known  than  was  the  heart  of  this  then  northwestern  territory. 
Ships  of  sail  on  occasional  voyages  ploughed  the  waters  of  the  placid  Sound, 
distributing  here  and  there  along  the  deeply  wooded  shore  lines  a  pioneer  with 
his  family  and  rude  effects,  while  the  less  majestic,  though  none  the  less  im- 
portant white- winged  "  Prairie  "  schooner,  via  the  Willamette  and  the  Rocky 
Mountain  passes  brought  his  neighbor,  perhaps  of  Yankeedom,  to  keep  him 
company  in  the  wilderness.  Suffering  from  the  agonies  of  long  sea  voyages, 
or  racked  with  the  ills  and  tribulations  of  long  overland  journeys  across  burn- 
ing sands  and  rocky  passes,  they  pitched  their  rude  habitations  here  in  the 
primeval  wilds  to  become  neighbors  of  the  dusky  red  man  for  many  years 
while  waiting  for  the  population  which  should  follow  in  their  wake. 


FIFTY-FOUR    FORTY    OR    FIGHT  5 

It  was  early  in  the  forties  when  this  onward  march  of  civilization  began  land- 
ing in  this  country.  'Tis  true  the  fur  gatherer  was  here  before  them,  but  they 
were  only  transients  and  saw  not,  nor  cared  for  the  great  natural  wealth  of  the 
country  that  spread  out  before  them. 

In  the  Sound  country,  Fort  Steilacoom,  Port  Townsend,  Olympia  and  Seattle 
and  a  few  down  Sound  ports  became  the  central  points  of  the  sparse  settlements 
which  thus  early  began  to  spread  over  the  country.  The  buzz  of  the  saw  mill 
was  simultaneous  with  the  first  efforts  of  these  early  settlers,  and  in  its  wake 
came  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  the  development  of  new  countries — the 
newspaper. 

As  it  was  in  California,  so  it  was  in  a  great  measure  in  this  northwest  country, 
the  greed  for  gold  formed  the  incentive  that  hastened  the  early  and  quick  set- 
tlement of  the  Northwest  coast.  ' '  To  Frazer  River, ' '  was  the  watchword  from 
California  and  the  east,  and  thousands  hastened  to  the  unexplored  country  to 
find  first,  disappointment,  and  secondly,  permanent  homes.  The  overflow  from 
the  mines  added  many  hundreds  to  the  permanent  settlements  on  the  Sound 
and  in  the  interior  and  the  march  of  civilization  and  commerce  was  greatly 
augmented. 

In  1858,  and  even  at  an  earlier  date,  the  newspaper  became  an  important 
factor  in  the  development  of  the  country.  On  the  1 2th  of  March  of  that  year, 
the  first  issue  of  the  Puget  Sound  Herald  appeared.  The  editor  thereof,  Mr. 
Charles  Prosch,  has  humorously  written  of  the  manner  in  which  he  gathered 
in  the  $2o-gold-pieces  from  enthusiastic  subscribers,  and  speaks  of  his  reception 
by  the  hardy  settlers  as  having  been  exceedingly  gratifying  and  flattering.  At 
that  time  but  one  other  newspaper  was  issued  in  the  territory,  that  being  the 
Pioneer  and  Democrat,  a  partisan  journal  of  bitter  proclivities. 

Previous  to  1845,  this  magnificient  arm  of  the  Pacific  ocean — Puget  Sound — 
was  used  only  as  a  thoroughfare  of  trade  by  the  Hudsons  Bay  company,  and 
save  the  arrival  of  a  few  vessels  in  that  company's  service,  its  placid  water 
was  disturbed  only  by  the  canoe  of  the  native  red  man,  and  the  unbroken 
silence  of  the  tree-clad  shores  proclaimed  the  country  a  wilderness.  The  posts 
of  the  above  named  company  at  Cowlitz  river  and  Fort  Nisqually  were  the 
only  evidences  of  civilization.  No  extensive  explorations  had  ever  been  made 
by  the  company's  agents,  and  the  Indians  confined  themselves  to  the  streams 
and  shores  of  the  Sound  and  so  gave  no  information  regarding  the  country  in 
the  interior. 


CHAPTER  III 

PIONEERS   OF  THE   FORTIES 

In  August  1845  Col.  M.  T.  Simmons,  George  Wauch  and  seven  others  arrived 
at  Budd's  inlet,  under  the  pilotage  of  Peter  Bercier,  the  first  American  citizens 
who  ever  settled  north  of  the  Columbia  river.  Being  pleased  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country  Col.  Simmons  returned  to  the  Columbia  where  he  had  left 
his  family  and  in  October  of  the  same  year  moved  over  accompanied  by  J.  Mc- 
Allister, D.  Kindred,  Gabriel  Jones,  Geo.  Bush  and  families,  and  J.  Ferguson 
and  S.  B.  Crocket,  single  men.  They  at  first  settled  on  prairies  from  one  to 
eight  miles  back  of  the  present  town  of  Olympia. 

They  were  fifteen  days  in  completing  this  journey  from  Cowlitz  landing  to 
the  Sound,  a  distance  of  60  miles,  being  compelled  to  cut  a  trail  through  the 
timbered  part  of  the  country. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  J.  R.  Jackson  located  at  Aurora. 

In  1846  S.  S.  Ford  and  J.  Borst  settled  on  the  Chickeeles  river,  Packwood  and 
Eaton  with  their  families  also  joined  the  American  settlers  on  the  Sound  the 
same  year  and  Col.  Simmons  erected  the  first  American  grist  mill  north  of  the 
Columbia  river.  Previous  to  this  the  inhabitants  had  to  subsist  on  boiled 
wheat  or  do  their  grinding  with  hand  mills. 

In  1847  the  first  house,  a  log  cabin,  was  built  in  Olympia  and  E.  Sylvester, 
Chambers,  Brail  and  Shayer  located  on  the  Sound  during  the  same  year.  The 
first  saw  mill  was  erected  at  the  falls  of  Deschutes  river  by  Col.  Simmons  and 
his  friends  during  the  same  year.  In  June  1848  the  Rev.  Father  Richard 
established  the  Roman  Catholic  mission  of  St.  Joseph  on  Budd's  inlet,  one  mile 
and  a  half  below  Olympia,  and  a  few  more  families  were  added  to  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Sound  country  that  year. 

In  the  year  1849  the  brig  Orbit  from  San  Francisco  put  into  Budd's  inlet  for 
a  load  of  piles  and  that  was  the  opening  of  the  lumber  trade. 

In  1850  the  first  frame  house  was  put  up  in  Olympia,  and  during  the  same 
year  Col.  I.  N.  Eby  made  a  settlement  on  Whidby  island  and  a  number  of  other 
improvements  and  new  settlements  were  made  during  the  year.  In  1851  Fort 
Steilacoom  was  established  by  Capt.  L,.  Balch,  and  Bachelor,  Plummer,  Petty- 


PIONEERS    OF    THE    FORTIES  7 

grove,  Hastings  and  Wilson,  names  familiar  even  at  this  day  around  Port 
Townsend,  came  in  the  same  year,  while  Steilacoom  City  by  J.  B.  Chapman 
and  New  York  (Alki  point)  by  Mr.  Lowe  were  founded. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  50*8  the  settlement  of  the  country  became  too 
swift  to  permit  of  following  the  individual  pioneers  in  their  brave  and  daring 
exploits  in  hewing  homes  out  of  the  primeval  wilderness.  There  was  no 
general  way  of  reaching  Puget  Sound  up  to  this  time  except  by  the  toilsome 
trail  from  the  Columbia  river,  and  the  necessity  of  a  steamer  from  San  Fran- 
cisco became  the  leading  topic  in  the  settlements.  Capt.  A.  B.  Gove  of  the 
ship  Pacific  took  the  matter  up  and  agitation,  as  it  always  does,  soon  after  had 
the  desired  effect. 

The  report  of  Wilke's  expedition  and  the  development  of  the  fur  trade  caused 
American  interests  to  be  directed  toward  this  country.  The  account  of  Joe  Meek 
who  went  overland  from  Walla  Walla  and  gave  such  glowing  descriptions  of  the 
Territory  of  Oregon  had  its  effect,  1848,  as  he  expressed  himself;  "this  was 
the  finest  country  that  ever  a  bird  flew  over. ' ' 

The  lower  house  of  Congress  passed  a  bill  to  establish  a  territorial  govern- 
ment for  Oregon  January  10,  1847,  but  many  difficulties  were  in  the  way  before 
it  became  a  law,  and  the  slave  question,  1848,  had  its  influence.  It  was  in  the 
middle  of  August  of  the  last  year  of  President  Folk's  administration  before  the 
territorial  government  bill  for  Oregon  became  a  law  and  the  long  journey  over 
the  mountains  caused  much  mote  delay. 

Joseph  I^ane  of  Indiana  was  appointed  Oregon's  first  Governor  with  Knitzing 
Pritchett  of  Pennsylvania  as  Secretary,  W.  P.  Bryant  of  Indiana  as  Chief 
Justice,  F.  Turney  of  Illinois  and  P.  H.  Burnett  of  Oregon  as  Associate 
Justices,  I.  W.  R.  Bromley  of  New  York  as  United  States  Attorney,  Joseph 
L.  Meek  Marshal  and  John  Adair  of  Kentucky  Collector  of  the  District  of  Ore- 
gon. Turney  declining,  O.  C.  Pratt  of  Ohio  was  named  in  his  place.  Bromley 
also  declined  and  Amory  Holbrook  was  appointed  in  his  place.  The  party 
landed  at  Oregon  City  two  days  before  the  expiration  of  Folk's  term  of  office. 

During  the  fall  of  1852  the  people  of  Northern  Oregon,  now  Washington, 
were  loud  in  their  demands  for  a  separate  territory  and  The  Columbian,  a 
bright  little  paper  published  at  Olympia,  became  a  zealous  worker  in  behalf  of 
a  separate  jurisdiction. 

Northern  Oregon  was  at  first  slow  to  attract  the  full  tide  of  emigration,  the 
worn  out  travelers  who  had  journeyed  across  the  plains  were  glad  to  find  a  rest- 
ing place  in  the  valleys  of  the  Columbia  or  Willamette  and  those  people  who 
had  homes  established  in  Southern  Oregon  were  always  eager  to  discourage  the 
emigration  to  the  northern  territory  and  often  circulated  reports  condemning 
the  Puget  Sound  country  that  caused  a  degree  of  enmity  to  exist  between  the 
two  sections  of  the  Northwest.  The  majority  of  the  population  being  south  of 


8  THE    SIWASH 

the  Columbia  river  had  the  result  of  causing  the  attention  of  the  government  to 
be  always  directed  to  that  part  of  the  country  and  every  appropriation  from 
Congress  was  for  the  benefit  of  Southern  Oregon  and  for  a  time  the  country 
bordering  on  Puget  Sound  was  left  to  take  care  of  itself.  That  naturally  caused 
the  people  who  had  sought  homes  in  that  northern  part  of  the  country  to  ask 
that  they  be  formed  into  a  separate  territory. 

Not  among  the  least  of  the  trials  and  dangers  which  beset  the  early  pioneer, 
were  those  which  arose  by  reason  of  the  contact  with  Indians.  The  average 
Siwash  was  a  peaceable  being,  but  the  worst  danger  came  from  the  deceitful 
and  savage  northern  tribes  and  east  of  the  mountain  clans.  From  Nootka 
sound,  Queen  Charlotte  and  Vancouver  islands,  came  swarms  of  the  red  devils 
in  their  nimble  canoes  and  left  havoc  and  destruction  among  many  a  pleasant 
home  and  settlement.  Across  the  Cascade  passes  came  bands  of  painted  war- 
riors spreading  terror  and  death  on  every  side. 

Numbers  of  the  early  settlers  fell  early  victims  to  the  atrocities  of  these  blood- 
thirsty bands,  and  their  names  are  only  remembered  by  the  few  survivors  whose 
silver  hair  and  wrinkled  features  form  objects  of  interest,  as  they  stand  upon  the 
pavement,  in  the  pushing  throng  now  crowding  our  busy  thoroughfares.  If 
you  will  ask  Charles  Prosch,  Hillory  Butler,  Judge  Swan,  John  Collins,  G.  A. 
Meigs  and  other  old  patriarchs  yet  among  us,  they  can  recount  many  a  stir- 
ring tale  of  battle  and  ambush,  and  name  over  many  an  old  settler  who  years 
ago  gave  away  his  life  in  his  efforts  to  pave  the  way  for  the  thousands,  who, 
happy  in  the  peaceful  present,  go  about  their  daily  work  with  scarce  a  thought 
of  those  early  times. 

Concerning  themselves  the  rightful  owners  of  the  soil,  the  Indians,  looked 
with  jealous  eye  upon  the  daily  encroachment  of  the  whites  and  regarded  with 
increasing  and  ominous  distrust  the  oft  repeated  and  oft  broken  promises  held 
out  to  them  that  this  land  would  be  purchased  under  treaties  with  the  govern- 
ment. Then  the  habits  of  the  Indian  was  disgusting  to  the  eye  of  civilization 
and  no  language  can  ever  draw  the  slothful  and  dirtyness  of  this  people,  yet 
there  were  many  wrongs  done  them  and  it  was  no  more  than  could  be  expected 
that  they  would,  true  to  their  nature,  do  such  acts  of  barbarity  as  would  shock 
the  whites  and  bring  upon  the  Indian  a  terrible  revenge  and  that  a  war  for 
supremacy  would  only  end  in  his  discomfiture. 

"  Money  was  plentiful,"  remarks  one  of  the  early  chroniclers  of  those  times, 
' '  and  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  abundance  of  money  in  the  hands  of 
the  people.  All  but  the  farmers  seemed  to  carry  purses  well  filled  with  twenty 
dollar  gold  pieces.  The  farmers  had  been  driven  from  their  homes  and  impover- 
ished by  the  Indian  wars  of  1856,  from  the  effects  of  which  they  had 
not  had  time  to  recover  ;  but  the  men  engaged  in  cutting  piles  and  logging  for 
the  mills  (and  they  comprised  a  large  proportion  of  the  whites  here)  suffered  but 


PIONEERS    OF    THE    FORTIES 


9 


little  from  the  same  cause.  The  man  who  owned  the  building  in  which  I 
first  printed  my  paper  could  neither  read  nor  write,  but  managed  to  earn  thirty 
dollars  a  day  by  hauling  piles  with  three  yoke  of  oxen  from  the  timber  to 
the  water.  Soldiers  received  permission  from  the  officers  to  cut  these  piles,  and 
earned  ten  dollars  each  a  day.  All  lumbermen  were  paid  in  like  manner. ' ' 

The  now  historic  Hudsons  Bay  company  was  in  early  Washington  days 
a  power  in  the  wilderness  and  with  the  native  Indians.  Their  agents  and 
trappers  encroached  upon  every  square  mile  of  wilderness,  almost  from  Hudsons 
bay  to  Puget  Sound.  Their  forts  occupied  the  most  important  places  in  the 
developing  Northwest,  and  were  viewed  with  more  or  less  of  distrust  by  Amer- 
ican settlers.  Fortunately,  a  friendly  and  parental  government  intervened  in 
time,  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  pioneers  dwelling  upon  the  disputed 
country.  First  a  ten  years'  lease  of,  and  then  final  purchase  of  the  improve- 
ments of  the  Hudsons  Bay  company  did  away  forever  with  the  English  fur 
monopoly  in  Washington  territory. 

In  1858  the  permanent  white  settlement  on  Puget  Sound  numbered,  accord- 
ing to  one  chronologer,  2500.  The  festive  boomer  in  real  estate  and  the  dis- 
penser of  town  lots  and  ' '  wildcat ' '  schemes  was  a  being  incognito.  His  sun 
had  not  then  risen.  A  single  newcomer  in  those  times  was  an  event  of 
neighborhood  notoriety.  The  blowing  of  an  incoming  steamer's  whistle  was  a 
signal  for  every  resident,  male,  female,  child  and  Indian  to  hasten  to  the  land- 
ing, the  former  to  peer  into  the  faces  of  the  passengers  for  friends  or  relatives, 
the  latter  to  gape  in  open-eyed  astonishment  at  the  white  man's  monster,  the 
steamboat. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  SIWASH   CHARACTERISTICS 

The  history  of  the  Siwash  is  tradition,  as  it  is  with  all  aborigines.  The  early 
tales  of  the  Norsemen,  the  Gaul,  the  Celt,  are  mere  matters  of  history,  perhaps 
distorted,  but  withal,  history.  The  lower  the  order  of  the  race,  the  lower  its 
mental  capacities,  the  more  truth  there  is  in  the  lore — the  tales  of  its  past. 
The  incidents  of  their  lives  which  collectively  become  their  history,  are  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  from  generation  to  generation,  plain  and  unembel- 
lished.  The  Siwash,  a  race  to  whom  instinct  is  superior  to  thought,  are  per- 
haps the  strongest  example  of  a  people  whose  history  is  least  faulty.  What 
grandsire  has  told  to  father  is  retold  to  son  in  a  language  whose  vocabulary  is 
so  limited  as  not  to  permit  of  changing  of  the  original  subject  matter.  True, 
the  same  deficiency  of  mental  power  blots  out  the  distant  past.  Three  genera- 
tions represent  the  era  of  their  history;  beyond  that  the  grandsire' s  memory 
closes  ;  but  as  the  incidents  which  are  here  chronicled  are  within  the  memory 

of  many  natives  living  at  this  time,  and 
from  whom  they  were  gathered  and  related 
without  variation  it  can  be  truly  accepted 
as  authentic.  It  has  been  practically  ac- 
cepted as  a  historic  fact  that  Vancouver 
first  penetrated  into  Puget  Sound  with  his 
vessel  the  Discoveror.  Juan  de  Fuca  pre- 
ceded him  on  the  straits,  but  to  Vancouver 
belongs  the  glory  of  having  first  penetrated 
to  the  upper  Sound  and  pointed  out  a  way 
for  the  sturdy  pioneers  that  were  to  follow 
him.  The  first  vessel  of  which  the  Indians, 
on  the  upper  Sound  at  least,  had  any 
memory  at  the  time  the  whites  began  to  flock  among  them  was  certainly 
Vancouver's. 

The  Siwash  of  Puget  Sound  (a  general  term  applied  to  males  of  all  the  tribes) 
and  the  Indians  of  the  entire  North  Pacific  coast,  like  every  native  of  every 
country  possessing  significant  features  of  topography,  flora,  and  most  of  all 


TYPICAL   SIWASH   FACE 


THE    SIWASH    CHARACTERISTICS 


11 


climate,  is  bent  to  his  surroundings.  The  Siwash  is  the  creature  of  the  cir- 
cumstances of  climate  in  a  very  great  degree,  and  he  could  never  escape  it — 
never  will  till  the  last  of  his  race  is  lost  in  oblivion.  His  mode  of  life,  the 
almost  continual  living  in  a  squatting,  cramped  position  in  his  canim  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  shows  in  his  broken,  ungraceful  proportions  today;  and 
it  cannot  be  doubted  but  that  in  the  humid  atmosphere  of  Puget  Sound  and 
the  abreviated  territory  in  which  he  has  lived  are  to  be  found  the  potent  factors 
that  have  united  to  make  him  at  this  day  the  essence  of  ugliness  in  human 
mould. 

No  matter  where  the  Siwash  came  from,  his  past  is  so  remote  it  will  never 
be  known. 

A  favorite  way  some  have  and  a  plausible  excuse  for  saying  anything  at  all, 
is  to  speculate  on  the  Asiatic  origin  of  the  Indians  of  this  part  of  America. 
Captain  Maryatt  tries  to  locate  the 
Shoshones,  whom  he  gives  very  wide  lati- 
tude and  longitude  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
among  ruined  cities  and  an  extinct  civili- 
zation and  fauna,  in  distant  Tartary;  the 
Hydias  are  ascribed  to  Japan  ;  the  Ka- 
nacka  resembles  the  Japanese,  etc.  As 
well  assume  the  Siwash  of  Puget  Sound 
are  descendants  of  the  Dakotahs  or  of 
some  of  the  tribes  east  of  the  great  Father 
of  Waters,  because  the  Thunderbird  myth 
is  traced  from  east  to  west  with  slightly  A  KLOOTCHMAN 

varying  antecedents  and  forms  from  one  tribe  to  another.  The  Indian  origin  is 
a  theme  for  speculation  only. 

The  Siwash  is  indubitably  the  result  of  hundreds  of  years  residence  on  the 
forest-fringed  shores  of  his  Whulge.  He  probably  could  not  endure  for  a  gen- 
eration elsewhere.  He  is  completely  moulded  to  his  surroundings  and  is  more 
nearly  able  to  resist  the  deleterious  results  of  the  superior  civilization  than  99 
out  of  100  of  the  tribes  in  the  broad  interior  of  the  American  continent. 
Years  and  years  ago,  when  the  renowned  old  Chief  Sealth  was  at  the  head  of 
the  allied  tribes  around  Sdze-Sdze-la-lich  and  Squ-ducks  (Seattle  and  West 
Seattle,  or  Elliott  bay  and  Alki  point)  >  it  is  said  that  his  legions  numbered 
not  more  than  750  or  800  Indians.  Who  today  will  say  that  there  is  not 
now  nearly  that  number  of  Indians  almost  within  the  same  confines  ?  In  the 
face  of  the  most  aggressive  development  and  civilization  of  the  last  ten  years, 
robbed  of  every  favorite  haunt  for  hunting  and  fishing,  with  paddle  wheels 
never  ceasing  to  disturb  the  quiet  waters  of  his  ancient  rivers  and  bays  where 
the  salmon  was  wont  to  sport,  and  with  new  population  that  had  encroached 


12 


THE    SIWASH 


upon  every  foot  of  land  where  his  klootchman  might  have  raised  a  little  patch 
of  potatoes,  as  she  did  a  score  of  years  ago,  he  has  withstood  it  all  and  con- 
tinues to  hold  on.  No  one  ever  hears  of  a  Siwash  dying  unless  occasionally  on 
the  reservations.  A  papoose  dies  once  in  a  while  during  a  change  from  the 
ordinary  modes  of  life  brought  about  by  annual  migrations  to  the  hop  fields. 

The  Siwash  is  the  very  reverse  of  a  Nomad.  He  is  studious  only  in  his 
stolidity  and  inactivity.  He  never  travels  within  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
and  there's  probably  not  a  dozen  of  the  full-blooded  Indians  who  have  been 
fifty  miles  from  salt  water.  It  was  not  infrequent  for  the  plains'  Indians  beyond 
the  great  coast  range  of  mountains  to  descend  to  the  sea,  but  that  the  Siwash 
should  ascend  to  and  beyond  the  summit  of  those  lofty  and  snow-clad  hills — 
never. 

Out  of  his  canoe  he  is  a  fish  out  of  water,  a  sloth  away  from  his  natural  sur- 
roundings. He  is  like  a  seal  on  shore, 
a  duck  on  dry  land,  ungainly  and  awk- 
ward. He  never,  probably,  was  brave, 
never  quarrelsome  in  that  he  went  out 
in  search  of  war.  Not  infrequently  he 
was  the  object  of  forays  by  his  kins- 
men from  the  far  north  or  the  east. 
Then  he  defended  himself  and  family 
as  best  he  could  and  got  into  the  brush 
with  all  possible  haste,  where  he  was 
as  safe  from  pursuit  as  if  in  a  citadel. 
Not  in  the  museums  anywhere  in  the 
country  is  there  at  this  time,  it  is  be 
lieved,  a  single  genuine  implement  of  war 
of  the  early  Indians  who  lived  on  the 
shores  of  Puget  Sound.  The  Atlantic 
seaboard  and  the  interior  were  deluged 
with  centuries,  it  may  be  said,  of  sav- 
age warfare.  One  short  war,  a  mere  uprising  on  Puget  Sound  in  early  days, 
and  that  instigated  by  natives  living  beyond  the  edges  of  the  Puget  Sound 
forest,  and  all  was  over.  Ever  after  the  Siwash  was  an  indifferent,  uncom- 
plaining creature.  He  drew  one  or  two  short  annuities  and  government  aid 
was  practically  withdrawn,  and  that,  too,  after  his  heritage  of  woods  and 
waters  had  been  taken  from  him.  But  one  hears  no  plaint  of  disturbed  and 
unmanageable  Indians.  He  is  content  to  live  on  so  long  as  there  is  space  for 
his  cedar  canoe  to  glide  on  the  water  and  an  open  beach  whereon  he  may  erect 
a  temporary  tent. 


s 


LA   BELLE    KLOOTCHMAM 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  FLAT-HEAD  GROUP 

The  Puget  Sound  Indians  have  generally  been  classified  according  to  the 
language  spoken  by  them  in  the  Selish  family  or  Flathead  group.  They 
were  first  classified  in  this  way  by  Albert  Gallatin,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
Americans  to  interest  himself  in  the  ethnology  of  the  North  American  Indian. 
The  extent  of  the  Selish  family  was  not  known  by  Gallatin,  neither  did  he 
know  the  exact  locality  of  the  tribe  whose  name  he  extended  to  this  great  fam- 
ily of  tribes.  The  tribe  is  stated  to  have  resided  upon  one  of  the  branches  of 
the  Columbia  river,  which  must  be  either  the  most  southerly  branch  of  Clark's 
Fork  or  the  most  northerly  branch  of  L,ewis  river.  The  former  supposition 
is  correct.  As  employed  by  Gallatin  the  family  embraced  only  a  single  tribe, 
the  Flathead  tribe  proper.  The  Atnah,  a  Selishan  tribe  was  considered  by 
Gallatin  to  be  distinct,  and  the  name  Atnah  according  to  him  would  be  eligible 
as  the  family  name  ;  preference,  however,  is  given  to  Selish.  The  few  words 
given  by  Gallatin  in  his  American  Archaeology  from  the  Friendly  Village  near 
the  sources  of  the  Salmon  river  belong  under  this  family. 

Since  Gallatin's  time  our  knowledge  of  the  territorial  limits  of  this  great 
linguistic  family  has  greatly  extended.  The  most  southerly  tribes  are  the  Til- 
lamooks  who  extend  along  the  Oregon  coast  about  50  miles  south  of  the  Co- 
lumbia river.  Beginning  on  the  north  side  of  Shoalwater  bay,  Selishan  tribes 
held  the  entire  northwestern  part  of  Washington,  including  the  whole  Puget 
Sound  region  except  some  insignificant  spots  about  Cape  Flattery,  which  were 
held  by  the  Makah  and  the  Chimakuan  tribes.  The  Selishans  also  held  a  large 
portion  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Vancouver  island,  while  the  greater  area  of  their 
territory  lay  on  the  main  land  opposite  and  included  much  of  the  country  trib- 
utary to  the  upper  Columbia.  They  were  hemmed  in  on  the  south  mainly  by 
the  Shahaptian  tribes.  They  dwelt  as  far  east  as  the  extreme  eastern  feeders 
of  the  Columbia,  and  on  the  southeast  their  territory  extended  into  Montana. 

Within  the  territory  thus  indicated  there  are  a  great  variety  of  costumes 
with  greater  differences  in  language. 

.During  the  early  explorations  along  the  Pacific  coast  the  Selishan  Indians 
held  the  territory  along  the  western  coast  of  Vancouver  island  as  far  north  as 
Nootka  sound,  but  since  that  time  the  Aht  races  of  the  west  coast  of  the  island 
have  crowded  them  to  the  southward  and  eastward  until  now  even  the  Neah 
bay  agency  is  largely  composed  of  Makah  Indians,  while  the  Chimakuans 
have  obtained  a  strong  foothold  further  south  along  the  coast. 


14  THE    SIWASH 

These  Selish  Indians  were  subdivided  into  numerous  tribes,  each  one  speak- 
ing a  language  a  little  different  than  the  rest. 

The  Semi-ah-moos  occupied  the  region  of  country  nearest  the  British  bound- 
ary line,  but  they  were  not  a  large  tribe. 

Proceeding  southward  were  the  Nooksacks,  who  inhabited  the  valley  of 
the  river  of  the  same  name  ;  the  L,ummies,  who  lived  around  Bellingham  bay  ; 
the  Samish  Indians,  who  camped  along  the  banks  of  the  Samish  river  and 
around  its  mouth,  while  the  more  important  tribes  to  the  south  of  them  were 
the  Skagits,  Snoqualmies,  Nis-qual-lies  and  Puyallups.  On  the  west  side  of 
the  Sound  the  most  important  tribes  were  the  Chehalis,  Clallam,  Cowlitz,  Sko- 
ko-mish  or  Twanas  and  Chinook  Indians. 

The  Snoqualmies  occupied  the  valleys  of  the  Snohomish  and.  Snoqualinie 
rivers  from  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish.  The  Sno- 
homish Indians  proper  lived  around  its  mouth.  Much  of  the  time  the  Sno- 
qualmies occupied  a  large  portion  of  the  Still-a-guam-ish  and  Sky-ko-mish  val- 
leys. The  tribe  known  as  the  Snohomish  Indians  never  extended  their  terri- 
tory far  above  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

The  Puyallups  lived  along  the  river  of  that  name  and  about  Commencement 
bay,  while  the  Nis-qual-lies  were  most  numerous  around  Olympia  and  the  Stilla- 
coom  plains.  There  were  also  a  number  of  smaller  tribes  that  have  not  yet  been 
mentioned  who  lived  for  the  most  part  along  some  portions  of  the  streams  or 
lakes  which  bear  their  names.  Among  them  the  Duwamish,  Samamish,  Sat- 
sops,  Stillacooms,  Squaxons,  Sutnas,  Suquamps  and  Swinomish  Indians. 

The  Makahs  around  Cape  Flattery,  as  has  been  stated,  were  closely  related 
in  language  with  the  Indians  of  Vancouver  island  and  it  also  appears  that  the 
Clallams  or  the  Nus-klai-yums,  as  they  called  themselves,  were  closely  con- 
nected with  them  ethnically,  but  though  they  show  certain  affinities  for  the 
Nootka  dialect  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  they  belong  to  the  Selish  or  Flathead 
stock. 

The  dialects  of  the  Dummies  and  Semi-ah-moos  have  some  affinity  with  the 
Sanetch  dialect  of  Vancouver  island  as  well  as  for  the  Nootka  and  the  Skagit, 
Samish  and  Nisqually  Indians  which  strongly  approach  each  other  while  there 
are  some  wide  variations  among  the  dialects  of  some  of  the  intervening  tribes. 

Of  all  the  languages  spoken  by  the  aborigines  of  the  Northwest  coast  of 
America  the  Chinook  spoken  in  various  dialects  by  the  tribes  around  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  river  is  the  most  intricate.  The  English  vocabulary  does  not 
contain  words  to  describe  it.  To  say  that  it  is  guttural,  clucking,  spluttering 
and  the  like,  is  to  put  it  mildly.  The  Chinook  does  not  appear  to  have  yet 
discovered  the  use  of  tongue  and  lips  in  speaking.  Like  the  T'Klinkit  of 
Alaska,  their  language  contains  no  labials,  but  the  T'Klinkit  is  music  in  com- 
parison to  it. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   CHINOOK   LA  LANG. 

There  is  danger  of  falling  into  error  concerning  the  Chinook  jargon,  by  con- 
fusing it  with  the  intricate  language  of  a  tribe  of  that  name.  On  the  other 
hand,  people  are  apt  to  make  the  mistake  of  imputing  its  invention  to  a  few  of 
the  Hudsons  Bay  company's  factors  at  Astoria. 

The  Chinook  jargon  was  and  is  yet  employed  by  the  white  people  in  their 
dealings  with  the  natives,  as  well  as  by  the  natives  among  themselves.  It  is 
spoken  all  over  Washington,  Oregon,  a  portion  of  Idaho  and  the  whole  length 
of  Vancouver  island.  Like  other  languages  formed  for  convenience  it  is  in  all 
probability  a  gradual  growth.  There  seems  but  little  doubt  that  the  rudi- 
ments of  it  first  existed  among  the  natives  themselves  and  that  the  trappers  and 
hunters  adopted  it  and  improved  upon  it  to  facilitate  intercourse  with  the 
natives.  Slowly  it  was  brought  to  its  present  state. 

When  Lewis  and  Clark  reached  the  coast  in  1806,  the  jargon  seems  to  have 
already  assumed  a  fixed  shape.  It  was  extensively  quoted  by  those  explorers. 
But  no  English  or  French  words  of  which  it  now  contains  so  many,  seem  to 
have  been  added  after  the  expedition  sent  out  by  John  Jacob  Astor  reached  the 
coast.  The  words  of  the  original  jargon  have  been  modified  to  a  large  extent 
however.  They  have  been  so  changed  as  to  eliminate  much  of  the  harsh 
guttural  unpronounceable  native  crackling,  thus  forming  a  speech  far  more 
suitable  to  all.  In  the  same  manner,  some  of  the  English  sounds  such  as  "  f " 
and  "r,"  which  are  so  troublesome  to  the  native  were  either  dropped  or 
changed  to  "p'1  and  "1,"  and  all  unnecessary  grammatical  forms  have  been 
eradicated.  Even  the  Chinook  jargon  is  not  without  its  dialects.  There  are 
many  words  used  at  Victoria  that  are  not  used  at  Seattle  or  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia.  This  fact  may  be  accounted  for  in  various  ways,  but  chiefly  by  the 
introduction  of  foreign  words.  Thus  an  Indian  sees  some  object  that  is  un- 
familiar to  him  and  asks  to  know  the  name  of  it.  The  trader  tells  him  a  name 
and  with  him  it  continues  to  be  the  name  of  the  article  ever  afterward.  For 
example  :  bread,  is  always  biscuit ;  whisky  is  paih-water,  or  in  some  localities, 
paih-chuck  ;  a  cat  is  expressed  as  a  puss-puss,  an  American  is  a  Boston-man, 
and  a  Britisher  a  King-George-man.  However,  in  different  localities  the 
things  may  be  named  quite  differently. 


16 


THE    SIWASH 


Mr.  Gibbs,  formerly  of  the  British  boundary  commission,  has  stated  that  the 
number  of  Chinook  words  were  about  five  hundred.  After  analyzing  the  lan- 
guage carefully  he  classified  the  words  into  the  various  languages  from  which 
they  originated  and  came  to  the  following  conclusion  as  to  the  number  of  words 
derived  from  each  :  Chinook  and  Clatsop,  200  words  ;  Chinook  having  analo- 
gies with  other  languages,  21  words ;  interjections  common  to  several,  8  words  ; 
Nootka,  including  dialects,  24  words ;  Chehalis,  32,  and  Nisqually  7  words  ; 
Klikitat  and  Yakima,  2  words  ;  Cree,  2  words  ;  Chippeway,  i  word  ;  Wasco,  4 
words  ;  Calapooya,  4  words  ;  by  direct  onomatopoeia,  6  words  ;  derivation  un- 
known, 1 8  words  ;  French,  90  words  ;  Canadian,  4  words  ;  English,  67  words. 

There  are  many  people  who  think  the  Chinook  jargon  to  be  the  invention  of 
McLaughlin,  the  Hudsons  Bay  company's  factor  at  Astoria,  but  the  foregoing 
facts  cited  by  Mr.  Gibbs  would  seem  to  indicate  that  nothing  could  be  further 
from  the  truth.  There  is  no  doubt  however,  that  the  great  fur  company  assisted 
it  in  its  development  and  aided  in  its  spread  but  even  then,  American  settlers 
and  traders  contributed  more  than  the  Hudsons  Bay  company  ever  did.  It  is 
a  remarkable  fact  that  such  old  Indians  as  came  in  contact  with  the  Hudsons 
Bay  company  only,  could  not  speak  Chinook  while  the  younger  class  who 
came  in  contact  with  the  settlers  and  traders  could  all  speak  it. 

It  is  already  on  record  that  Chiefs  Sealth  and  Hettie  Kanim  belonged  to  the 
former  class  who  never  learned  to  speak  Chinook. 


CHAPTER  VII 


TRADITIONS   OF  VANCOUVERS  APPEARANCE 

Jacobs,  Big  John,  William  Kitsap  and  others  were  among  the  leading  or 
head  men  of  the  tribes  on  the  upper  Sound  when  the  whites  came.  They  were 
given  Christian  names  by  the  early  settlers  and  before  their  deaths  commanded 
the  respect  of  the  whites,  who  not  only  learned  their  simple  tongue,  but  were 
often  regaled  with  the  traditions  and  history  of  their  tribes.  From  these  men 
were  gleaned  the  account  of  the  arrival  on  the  upper  Sound  of  the  first  ship. 
Before  any  of  these  existing  Indians  were  born,  so  their  fathers  had  imparted 
to  them,  during  the  early  part  of  a  "  warm  sun  "  (summer  time)  just  after  sun- 
set while  the  Indians  were  in  camp  at  Beans  point,  near  what  are  now  known 
as  Blakeley  rocks,  the  camp  was  thrown  into  great  excitement  and  they  ran 
about  the  beach  uttering  exclamations  of  wonder  and  astonishment.  There 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  placid  Sound  was  the  first  white  man's  ship  with  wings 
outspread.  Never  had  Indian  eyes  looked  upon  anything  so  wonderful. 
"Uch-i-dah  uch-i-dah "  wonderful,  wonderful.  "  Ik-tch-o-coke ;  Ik-tch-o- 
coke  ! ' '  what  is  that,  what  is  that.  Then  the  astonished  natives  took  to  the 
woods,  fearing  the  greatest  evil  and  disaster  as  they  heard  for  the  first  time  the 
noise  of  firing  cannon.  The  more  superstitious  conceived  it  a  message  from 
the  Great  Spirit  and  were  filled  with  the  greatest  alarm.  Old  Chief  Kitsap 
was  there  and  the  brave  old  fellow  stood  his  ground  and  by  his  demeanor  al- 
layed the  fears  of  the  more  timorous,  as  well  as  by  pronouncing  it  a  big  canoe. 
It  is  believed  that  Kitsap  had,  on  some  of  his  migrations  to  the  lower  Sound 
waters  and  straits,  come  in  contact  with  some  of  the  earlier  Spanish  cruisers. 
This  was  the  belief  of  the  older  Indians  at  the  time  of  the  first  white  occupa- 
tion of  this  country.  Both  Kitsap  and  old  Chief  Sealth  had  made  voyages  at 
that  time  as  far  north  as  what  is  now  Victoria  harbor. 

The  next  day  following  the  appearance  of  the  strange  visitors,  old  Kitsap 
with  a  few  of  his  sub-chiefs  were  persuaded  to  go  on  board  the  vessel  and  were 
filled  with  unbounded  astonishment  at  what  they  saw.  It  was  with  an  evident 
relish  and  much  interest  that  the  old  Indians  above  named  related  through  the 
interpreter  Alfred,  the  story  of  the  visit  aboard  the  first  ship,  as  it  was  related 


18 


THE    SIWASH 


to  them  by  their  fathers  and  grandsires.  Iron,  metal  goods,  knives,  forks, 
chains,  firearms  and  hard  bread  and  other  goods  were  brought  out  for  their  in- 
spection. They  were  offered  the  hard  bread  and  molasses  to  eat.  The  Indians 
called  the  latter  Ta-gum,  which  in  Chinook  means  pitch,  but  after  persuasion 
tasted  it  and  were  well  pleased  and  partook  of  both  bread  and  molasses.  Old 
Kitsap  soon  made  himself  at  home  on  board  the  vessel  and  the  strange  white 
creatures  that  flitted  about  her  decks  were,  after  the  first  visit  or  two,  without 
fear  for  the  sturdy  old  native.  The  Indian  account,  meager  as  it  is,  tallies  well 
with  Vancouver's  record  of  the  same  when,  for  instance,  he  says  it  was  on 
the  1 6th  of  May,  1792,  that  he  anchored  off  an  island  which  they  named  Bain- 
bridge  and  near  a  ledge  of  rocks  they  called  Blakeley  rocks. 

The  Indians'  account  of  Vancouver's  movements  while  anchored  off  and  in 
view  of  what  is  now  Seattle  harbor  or  Elliott  bay,  corresponds  "with  his  own. 
Kitsap  piloted  Vancouver  up  the  Sound  to  what  is  now  Olympia.  While  on 
this  cruise  with  row-boats  they  visited  the  celebrated  Old- Man-House  at  North 
bay,  an  Indian  rendesvous  already  mentioned.  After  an  exploring  expedition 
of  ten  or  twelve  days  up  the  Sound,  old  Chief  Kitsap  as  pilot  went  with  Van- 
couver on  a  cruise  down  inside  the  Whidby  island  channel  to  Bellingham  bay. 
Vancouver's  ship  remained  at  anchor  nearly  two  moons  at  Blakeley  rocks  and 
the  Indians  secured  of  him  the  first  instruments  made  of  iron  with  which  they 
executed  fine  carving,  after  the  fashion  of  the  totem  posts  at  the  Old-Man- 
House. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   OLD-MAN-HOUSE   TRIBE 

The  history  of  the  Old-Man-House  (or  as  the  Indians  called  it  Tsu-Suc-Cub) 
if  fully  known  would  unfold  a  story  as  interesting  as  romance.  At  this 
late  day  its  time  and  surroundings  are  so  shrouded  in  the  mists  of  the  past  that 
but  only  a  glimpse  can  be  had.  Its  habitats  like  itself  have  long  years  since 
withered  and  returned  to  dust.  Probably  the  best  and  most  authentic  account 
of  its  history  and  purpose  is  the  story  told  by  Indian  Williams,  or  as  the 
Indians  called  him,  Sub-Qualth,  about  80  or  85  years  old  at  that  time,  and  long 
since  joined  to  his  fathers.  Old  Williams  told  his  story  through  an  intelligent 
interpreter  also  of  the  Old-Man-House  reservation,  whose  name  had  been 
christianized  to  that  of  H.  S.  Alfred. 

In  the  Tsu-Suc-Cub  lived  eight  great  chiefs  and  their  people.  Space  in  the 
big  house  was  allotted  to  each  chief  and  his  people  and  this  was  religiously 
consecrated  to  them  and  never  encroached  upon  by  others.  To  old  Chief 
Sealth  was  given  the  position  of  honor  ;  Chief  Kitsap  came  next,  Sealth's  aged 
father  ranked  third,  and  Tsu-lu-Cub  came  fourth.  These  four  Sub  Qualth 
remembered  and  they  represented  one-half  of  the  Tsu-Suc-Cub.  The  next  four 
Sub  Qualth  did  not  remember  but  his  father,  who  was  a  cousin  of  Chief  Sealth 
had  told  him  their  names.  There  was  Bec-kl-lus,  Ste-ach-e-cum,  Oc-ub,  and 
Lach-e-ma-sub.  These  were  petty  chieftains  with  subordinate  tribes  and 
authority  and  each  had  a  carved  totem  supposed  to  properly  delineate  and  per- 
petuate the  deeds  of  valor  of  himself  and  people. 

In  1859  there  were  many  of  these  carved  posts  remaining  and  yet  standing 
in  fairly  good  preservation  with  the  big  logs  still  resting  on  them  16  to  20  feet 
above  the  ground.  Three  of  them  remained  in  position  in  1870,  but  during 
the  next  fifteen  years  all  were  torn  down,  or  falling  from  decay,  were  carried 
off  and  lost  to  the  historian. 

The  posts  in  the  front  were  about  25  feet  apart,  making  the  length  of  the 
structure  over  1,000  feet  frontage  with  the  width  of  the  main  room  fully  60  feet 
inside.  The  big  corner  post  was  of  cedar,  as  were  all  of  them  for  that  matter, 
and  was  of  immense  size,  showing  that  the  tree  from  which  it  was  cut  must 
have  been  seven  feet  through.  Clear  and  distinctly  cut  on  the  front  of  the  big 


20 


THE    SIWASH 


totem  stood  out  first  and  foremost  the  big  Thunderbird  in  the  proportions  in 
which  it  had  fixed  itself  in  the  minds  of  the  particular  tribe.  On  the  same 
totem  was  carved  the  full  sized  figure  of  a  man  with  bow  and  arrows,  represent- 
ing the  old  Chief  Kitsap,  the  most  noted  chief  for  great  strength  and  prowess 
on  the  Sound,  save  possibly  old  Sealth. 

What  a  home  it  must  have  been.  Although  the  family  residing  there  was 
large,  yet  never  a  resident  of  Washington  lived  in  a  home  more  spacious.  It 
covered  the  length  and  breadth  of  sandy  beach  like  a  king's  palace  that  it  was. 
Three  hundred  and  eighty-four  or  ninety-four  yards,  as  Wm.  Deshaw  remem- 


ALL  THAT'S  LEFT  OF  OLD-MAN-HOUSE 

bered,  did  it  stretch  away  up  and  down  the  beach  of  the  narrow  Agate  passage. 
Twenty  yards  or  more  in  breadth  it  extended  back  to  the  edge  of  the  little  bluff, 
where  its  long  timbers  rested  as  on  a  footstool,  and  high  enough  for  the  tallest 
Indian  brave. 

The  outlines  of  the  old  pile  are  still  readily  traceable  along  the  ground 
although  it  has  been  nearly  thirty  years  since  the  Indians  gave  it  up  as  a  place  of 
abode  and  took  to  constructing  little  huts  and  lean-tos  along  the  beach  and  on 
the  gentle  slopes  above.  The  attractive  relic  of  the  old  structure  and  the  one 
that  lends  the  best  idea  of  the  old  building's  original  shape,  is  one  of  the  log 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  21 

rafters  still  resting  in  position  on  two  immense  uprights  just  as  it  did  in  the 
days  when  the  allied  tribes  hoisted  its  great  weight  into  the  air.  It  is  a  cedar 
log  63  feet  long,  12  inches  in  diameter  at  the  smaller  end  and  probably  23  or 
24  inches  at  the  larger  end.  The  uprights,  to  lend  color  to  the  great  propor- 
tions the  old  building  must  have  attained,  are  of  immense  cedar  trees  that  must 
have  been  four  feet  through.  The  one  nearer  the  water  is  12  feet  high  and  the 
other  fully  eight  feet.  The  big  timbers  were  first  split  asunder  and  the  inside 
hollowed  out  and  hewn  away  until  a  piece  probably  10  or  12  inches  thick  had 
been  left  to  form  the  upright.  They  have  been  hoisted  into  position  with  the 
convex  or  bark  side  turned  to  face  the  interior  of  the  house  and  tamped  into 
the  ground  until  they  became  solidly  set  and  able  to  support  the  great  weight 
that  was  put  on  above.  Back  of  the  row  of  uprights  that  stood  at  the  rear  and 
furthest  from  the  beach,  extended  another  row  of  stringers  or  girders  to  the 
bank,  supporting  also  a  roof,  and  this  greatly  enlarged  the  area  of  the  build- 
ing. Up  and  down  the  beach  are  numberless  posts  and  foundation  blocks  of 
the  old  house  and  all  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  as  is  the  single  big  rafter 
and  two  uprights  yet  in  position.  These  latter  are  only  worn  and  rotted  where 
they  came  in  contact  once  with  the  other  or  where  they  enter  at  the  surface  of 
the  ground. 

An  alder  bush,  a  salal  bush,  and  a  weed  or  two  have  found  a  foothold  in  an 
old  wind  crack  of  the  rafter  and  now  add  to  its  quaint  and  picturesque  appear- 
ance. All  else  has  been  torn  down  or  fallen  down  by  the  lapse  of  time  and  has 
either  floated  off  with  the  tide  or  been  burned  up  in  their  earthen  fires. 

Five  hundred,  six  hundred,  and  as  high  as  seven  hundred  Indians  lived  in 
the  big  palace  here  at  one  time.  They  lived  here  long  after  the  white  people 
came  among  them.  The  site  had  been  their  great  village  for  probably  hundreds 
of  years  before.  Successive  chiefs  have  sat  in  council  here  and  great  war 
dances  and  night  orgies  held  through  generations  of  time  under  the  chiefs  of 
the  Sealth. 

Great  banks  of  crushed  and  broken  and  roasted  clam  shells  that  whiten  the 
beach  and  cover  the  bottom  of  the  sea  as  with  a  porcelain  lining  far  out  into 
deep  water,  attest  this  better  than  could  have  musty  scroll  or  parchment.  The 
entire  sea  beach  extending  back  onto  the  high  ground  is  but  a  bed  of  decayed 
clam  shells,  and  even  as  high  up  as  the  Indian  farmer's  little  garden,  soil  had 
to  be  carted  in  and  put  upon  it,  in  which  the  seed  germs  could  take  hold  and 
grow.  Below  it  was  a  bed  of  lime-like  earth,  the  offal  and  remains  of  many 
thousands  of  Indian  feasts. 

Besides  the  vast  amount  of  crumbled  shell  mounds  there  are  other  and 
smaller  mounds  about  the  site  that  look  as  if  they  might  have  served  the  pur- 
pose of  an  elevated  fire  place.  The  whole  area  is  overgrown  with  a  thick 
carpet  of  short  sand  grass  which  even  now  makes  it  a  most  inviting  place  for 


22 


THE    SIWASH 


campers  or  picnic  parties.  Beyond  the  few  things  mentioned  above  there  is 
nothing  to  remind  one  now  of  the  interesting  past  hereabouts. 

An  interesting  character  still  resides,  1895,  at  the  Old-Man-House  reserva- 
tion. He  is  William  Deshaw,  whom  the  tides  of  time  cast  upon  the  beach  at 
Agate  point,  Kitsap  county,  27  years  ago. 

Deshaw,  a  rank  copper-head  to  this  day,  is  part  of  the  flotsam  and  jetsam 


WILLIAM  DESHAW,  THE  PIONEER  AND  INTIMATE    FRIEND  OF  CHIEF  SEALTH 

From  a  Life  Sketch 

that  came  into  the  Sound  along  with  the  early  tide  of  emigration.  He  was  born 
in  Galveston,  Texas,  in  1834,  and  was  part  of  the  early  drift  of  Arizona,  New 
Mexico  and  California.  He  went  into  the  Sacramento  valley  a  year  before  the 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  23 

4gers  struck  the  coast  and  true  to  his  nature  of  moving  out  on  the  flood  tides 
soon  left  there  and  came  this  way.  He  has  been  shot  full  of  arrow  holes,  and 
has  among  numerous  other  trophies  five  Indian  scalps  in  his  trunk  of  his  own 
taking.  That  he  ever  remained  here  so  long  is  entirely  due  to  the  climate. 
Let  the  rains  of  one  long  winter  on  Puget  Sound  percolate  down  a  man's  back 
and  he  seldom  gets  away  after  that.  He  takes  to  it,  as  it  were,  like  the  moss 
on  the  roof,  and  becomes  a  fixture  of  the  location.  And  so  it  was  with  the 
old  Texan.  He  drifted  in  here  for  a  stay  of  a  month  or  two  and  he  is  here  yet- 
He  soon  got  mixed  up  with  the  natives,  became  a  squaw  man  and  never  after 
that  could  he  pull  himself  away.  And  why  should  he  leave  ?  He  had  wedded 
into  the  royal  house  of  Sealth ;  wedded  a  princess,  a  grand-daughter  of  the 
chief  of  the  allied  tribes  of  the  Duwamish,  Samamish,  Squamish,  etc.,  and 
probably  forgot  about  his  old-time  habit  of  drifting.  Mrs.  Deshaw,  nee  Prin- 
cess Mary  Sealth,  has  been  dead  these  many  years,  and  now  lies  buried  in  the 
little  reservation  churchyard  on  the  hill  across  the  narrow  strip  of  tide  water. 
There  are,  however,  two  fine  looking  girls  and  some  boys  left  of  the  union,  and 
in  their  society  the  old  man  is  happy  and  contented.  Speaking  of  the  little 
"  God's  acre  "  on  the  hill  near  the  reservation  church  reminds  us  very  vividly 
that  within  its  sacred  precincts  rests  almost  all  that  there  is  of  the  races  and 
tribes  of  Sealth.  Eighteen  new  mounds  have  been  added  during  the  past  year. 
Yet  a  little  while  and  there  will  not  be  a  solitary  individual  left  alive  to  remind 
those  of  to-day  that  such  a  people  ever  lived.  Father  Time  has  wrought  some 
rapid  changes  with  the  allied  tribes  since  the  whites  came  among  them.  The 
evil  and  contaminating  influences  that  have  ever  followed  civilization  into 
the  dominion  of  the  simple  natives,  coupled  in  this  case  with  their  severe 
and  taxing  superstitions,  have  combined  to  quickly  wipe  them  out  of  existence. 
So  quickly  have  the  changes  been  wrought  that  whole  families  have  disap- 
peared almost  in  the  night-time.  A  Siwash  with  a  wife  and  eight  or  ten  appar- 
ently healthy  children  might  wake  up  to-morrow  to  find  himself  a  widower 
without  family.  Men  there  are  now  at  the  Old-Man-House  who  have  buried 
their  third  wife  and  living  with  the  fourth.  Klootchmen  were  pointed  out  who 
have  married  five  different  times  and  only  the  fifth  man  living.  Chief  of  Police 
Jimmy  Sealth  is  the  fourth  husband  of  his  present  wife,  who  is  not  over  30 
years  of  age.  She  lost  her  first,  second  and  third  husbands  successively,  and 
with  the  first  one  buried  seven  children.  The  record  of  the  second  and  third 
marriages  was  not  given.  Jimmy  Sealth,  no  relation  of  the  old  chief,  who 
besides  being  chief  of  police,  was  sheriff,  prosecuting  attorney,  judge  and  general 
factotum  on  the  reservation,  has  been  married  two  or  three  times  and  buried 
two  children  by  his  first  wife.  In  one  little  family  plot  in  the  reservation 
churchyard  23  graves  were  counted  side  by  side.  The  dead  are  not  alone  buried 


24  THE    SIWASH 

side  by  side — they  are  piled  in  one  on  top  of  another  in  many  cases,  although 
there  is  a  waste  of  wilderness  on  every  side  of  the  burying  ground. 

Disease  has  fallen  with  a  heavy  hand  upon  the  allied  tribes,  but  even  in 
the  memory  of  the  first  white  man  superstition  has  done  almost  as  much  in  the 
labor  of  thinning  out  the  population.  Graves  there  are  at  the  Old-Man-House 
that  have  been  wet  with  the  blood  of  human  sacrifice  within  the  memory  of 
their  great  Ta-mahn-a-wis,  William  Deshaw.  One  man  there  is  on  the  Old- 
Man-House  reservation  who  has  slain  1 1  children  in  the  practice  of  their  Skal- 
lal-a-toot,  or  hoodooism,  and  whose  blood  saturated  the  tomb  of  their  hy-as- 
tyees. 

Such  in  a  few  words  is  the  rather  sympathetic  story  of  a  people  who  here- 
abouts were  the  first  in  the  land.  A  people  whose  Ta-mahn-a-wis  men,  or 
great  medicine  men,  foretold  the  coming  of  the  white  people  days  and  days 
before  the  Indians  themselves  saw  the  ships  of  Vancouver  sailing,  sailing  from 
out  the  heavy  cloud  banks  and  high  up  in  the  air,  for  from  such  a  source  did 
the  three  ships  appear  to  the  simple  natives  as  told  now  in  some  of  their  tra- 
ditions. The  Old-Man-House,  or  Port  Madison  Indian  reservation  lies  about 
1 5  miles  northwest  of  Seattle  and  not  far  from  the  Port  Madison  mills,  one  of 
the  big  lumber  camps  of  Puget  Sound,  now  idle  and  almost  tenantless,  a  result 
as  much  probably  of  extensive  litigation  as  anything  else.  It  is  a  mill  town 
owned  exclusively  by  the  mill  company,  which  furnishes  all  the  employment  of 
the  place  to  its  300  or  400  inhabitants  when  the  mill  is  busy.  Now  that  there 
is  nothing  to  do  in  the  mill  there  is  no  occasion  for  remaining  there  and  the 
mill  men  with  their  families  have  moved  elsewhere  and  the  rows  of  pretty 
whitewashed  cottages  are  empty  and  voiceless. 

The  mill  property  is  situated  in  a  pretty  little  bight  of  the  Sound,  once  a 
favorite  nook  of  the  Indians,  hid  away  from  view  until  one  is  right  upon  it.  It 
is  located  nearly  at  the  northernmost  end  of  Bainbridge  island,  and  the  mill 
town  at  one  time  besides  supporting  a  considerable  mill  population,  was  the 
county  seat  of  Kitsap  county.  But  during  a  few  years  past,  however,  the 
most  officious  and  omnipresent  individual  over  there  was  the  court's  officer,  who 
held  the  keys  to  the  mill  and  looked  after  the  property  for  the  court  pending 
final  adjudication  of  the  case  on  behalf  of  all  litigants. 

The  Indian  reservation  lies  about  three  miles  distant  from  the  mill  and  sepa- 
rated from  it  by  Agate  passage,  a  narrow  thread  of  water  900  feet  across  at  half 
tide. 

The  way  over  to  the  reservation  is  nothing  more  than  a  narrow  trail  hewn  out 
of  the  woods  a  few  feet  up  from  the  beach,  and  was  apparently  first  cut  by  the 
men  who  strung  the  old  Puget  Sound  telegraph  and  cable  company's  wire  to 
the  lower  Sound. 

At  the  extreme  limit  of  Bainbridge  island  is  Agate  point  and  directly  across, 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  25 

the  reservation.  On  the  point  is  the  old  trading  store  of  William  Deshaw,  first 
started  in  the  early  sixties,  and  has  been  a  trading  store  ever  since.  Deshaw 
has  been  left  in  undisturbed  possession  ever  since  and  there  he  is  to-day,  prob- 
ably his  only  accumulation  being  his  now  motherless  but  happy  family  of  half- 
breed  boys  and  girls.  Every  nook  and  corner  hereabouts  appears  remindful  of 
the  musty  past,  everything  is  interesting  to  look  upon  or  ruminate  over. 
Deshaw' s  old  trading  store  is  a  museum  of  antiquities,  and  its  restless,  gray- 
haired  and  slippered  proprietor  is  the  one  living  specimen  and  most  interesting 
of  all  there  is  on  exhibition.  Sixty  years  old,  yet  he  is  apparently  as  full  of 
vitality  as  he  ever  was.  There  is  just  as  much  fire  in  his  small  gray  eyes  and 
as  much  of  a  spring  in  the  step  as  there  was  when  he  was  taking  the  scalp-locks 
of  the  bloodthirsty  Comanche  and  Apaches. 

The  old  gentleman  hearing  our  approach  one  Wednesday  morning  came 
shambling  out  onto  his  front  porch  and  was  soon  in  the  midst  of  an  interesting 
talk  on  the  Indians  with  whom  for  so  long  he  has  been  associated.  Although 
the  better  part  of  his  life  he  has  spent  among  the  tribes  that  first  held  posses- 
sion of  the  wooded  shores  of  the  Sound  here,  he  is  by  no  means  an  Indian 
lover,  especially  of  the  renegade  set  which  now  has  possession  of  Old-Man- 
House  village.  He  has  without  doubt  during  the  last  25  years  talked  twice  as 
much  Chinook  and  pure  Siwash  as  English  yet  he  uses  the  strongest  expletives 
of  the  English  tongue  in  speaking  of  his  present  Indian  neighbors.  "  L,o,  the 
poor  Indian,"  finds  no  sympathy  in  his  breast.  He  thinks  it  a  great  pity  that 
14,800  acres  of  land  should  be  kept  exclusively  for  a  few  shiftless  and  unworthy 
Indians  to  live  upon  it  to  the  exclusion  of  the  white  people,  and  so  it  appears. 
They  have  had  these  lands  for  generations  yet  there  is  just  the  narrowest  border 
of  clearing  along  the  waters  that  bears  any  resemblance  to  cultivation,  and  that 
for  the  most  part  is  due  to  the  labor  of  a  few  white  men  rather  than  to  the 
Indians. 

"They  never  would  work,"  says  Deshaw,  "and  never  will.  Kindness  is 
wasted  upon  them  ;  every  kind  act  done  them  is  returned  with  an  injury." 

Probably  the  otherwise  kind-hearted  old  man  would  not  talk  so  but  for  the 
fact  that  the  old  Indians,  those  who  gave  allegiance  to  old  Chief  Sealth,  have 
all  been  crowded  out  and  either  dead  or  driven  away  and  become  lost  in  other 
tribes  by  renegade  Indians.  These  last  are  "  cultus  "  people,  who  have  been 
run  out  of  and  off  other  reservations  and  becoming  wanderers  and  veritable 
Indian  tramps  have  at  last  found  a  stopping  place  at  Old- Man-House. 

Deshaw  says  there  are  about  60  inhabitants  on  the  reservation,  big,  little,  old, 
young  and  indifferent,  but  the  agent  would  probably  give  a  larger  number.  Of 
these,  he  counts  but  six  that  are  truly  men  of  the  allied  tribes,  once  ruled  by 
old  Chief  Sealth.  These  men  are  Big  John,  now  chief,  Charley  Shafton, 
Charley  Uk-a-ton,  Charley  Ke-ok-uk,  one  of  the  two  honest  Indians  on  the  res- 


26  THE    SIWASH 

ervation,  according  to  Deshaw,  George  Thle-wah  and  Jacob  Huston,  one  of  the 
old-time  Indians,  but  a  slave.  None  of  these  are  of  the  family  or  descendants 
of  the  old  chief  though  the  families  of  Big  John  and  Jacob  have  always  been 
considered  among  the  nobility  of  the  allied  tribes.  Not  even  all  the  six 
Indians  mentioned  are  good  Indians,  for  Deshaw  reckons  but  five  on  the  reser- 
vation who  care  for  a  home  or  make  any  effort  toward  providing  for  their  neces- 
sities in  the  way  the  white  men  have  taught  them.  They  prefer  to  keep  to  their 
old  customs  and  .superstitions ;  would  rather  troll  for  salmon  and  send  their 
klootchmen  to  dig  for  clams  than  plant  potatoes  or  milk  a  cow.  Two  or  three 
years  without  the  watchful  care  of  the  government  and  the  very  few  whites  who 
take  interest  enough  to  look  after  them,  and  they  would  drift  back  into  a  bar- 
barism as  deep  as  that  of  50  years  ago.  The  government  pays  a  man  to  reside 
upon  the  reservation  in  the  capacity  of  Indian  farmer  to  see  to  it  that  the  men 
with  families  and  homes  do  something  toward  raising  gardens  and  gather  the 
fruit  that  ripens  in  the  little  orchards.  The  Indian  agent  proper  does  not  reside 
there  but  anon  visits  the  spot  in  his  official  capacity.  That  personage  lives  at 
Tulalip,  Lummi,  Old-Man-House  reservation,  Muk-il-shoot  and  one  other. 
The  present  Indian  farmer,  J.  Y.  Roe,  and  his  wife,  have  been  upon  the  reser- 
vation a  little  over  a  year  and  are  full  of  sympathy  for  the  wards  they  watch 
over.  They  have  done  much  to  improve  the  situation  on  the  reservation  and 
give  up  all  their  time  and  a  portion  of  the  small  pittance  they  receive,  $50  a 
month,  to  do  the  work.  Among  the  improvements  in  the  village  on  the  reser- 
vation the  farmer  has  accomplished  is  the  building  of  a  new  court  house  or 
town  hall  and  ' '  skookum  ' '  house,  and  a  number  of  other  things  in  the  way 
of  improvements  to  the  small  gardens  and  orchards. 

The  reservation  forms  a  large  body  of  land  which  ends  in  a  beautiful  pen- 
insula between  Squim  bay  and  the  narrows.  The  site  of  the  reservation  village 
which  is  also  the  site  of  the  famous  Old-Man-House,  fronts  the  water  on  the 
south  in  a  gentle  slope,  covered  with  half  grown  evergreens  and  the  narrowest 
border  of  cleared  lands  set  to  orchards,  flower  gardens  and  vegetables.  The  most 
conspicuous  figure  of  the  village  is  the  Catholic  church,  a  perfect  little  model 
in  its  way,  and  as  white  and  gleaming  in  the  sun  as  a  snowy  peak.  It  will 
bear  the  utmost  scrutiny  for  it  is  j  ust  the  same  in  or  out,  far  or  near.  By 
far  the  most  interesting  thing  to  be  found  there  at  this  day  is  the  relic  of  the 
Old-Man-House,  which  can  just  be  made  out  from  the  porch  of  the  old  trading 
store  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay.  It  is  down  close  to  the  water's  edge  and 
about  midway  in  the  little  clearing.  But  how  can  one  be  expected  to  glean 
anything  from  its  past  and  old  associations  without  the  presence  of  the  big 
Tah-mahn-a-wis  man  along.  So  Mr.  Deshaw  shambled  away  after  his  big, 
rusty  key,  locks  up  his  store  and  goes  off  for  a  whole  day  with  us,  perfectly 
unconcerned  as  to  the  propriety  of  good  business  methods. 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  27 

At  the  waters' s  edge  on  the  reservation  side  of  the  narrows  lives  the  Indian 
farmer,  a  sub-agent,  and  his  spouse,  a  very  easy-going,  plodding,  pleasant 
natured  old  couple.  Old-Man-House  is  usually  as  serene  and  quiet  as  a  Sab- 
bath day,  in  fact  every  day  is  a  Sunday  in  this  respect. 

There  is  a  school,  but  no  business,  no  nothing  but  what  would  prove  to  a 
white  person  a  monotonous  and  unbearable  existence.  There  is  one  irregular 
and  vagrant  looking  street  connecting  with  a  little  beaten  trail  that  leads  to  the 
cemetery  on  the  hill.  Here  is  the  populous  part  of  the  village.  We  lead  the 
way  into  the  inclosure  and  through  the  windings  between  the  thickly  made 
mounds,  a  large  portion  of  which  have  a  little  emblem  of  the  crucifixion  raised 
above  them.  The  old  Texan  with  us  has  known,  in  their  day,  most  of  the 
Indians  who  are  sleeping  the  last  quiet  sleep  here  and  hesitates  not  to  indicate 
who  were  the  cultus  and  who  were  the  good  Indians.  "That  fellow,"  he 
would  say,  "was  as  big  a  rascal  as  ever  lived,"  or  of  another,  "he  was  a  good 
Indian  and  a  hard  worker."  Directly  he  leads  the  way  up  near  the  north  side 
of  the  inclosure  where  a  large  marble  monument  marks  the  resting  place  of 
some  big  tyee.  There  are  a  dozen  small  mounds  in  the  same  little  plot  and 
ranged  on  either  side  of  it,  but  the  only  inscription  is  on  the  big  monument  and 
it  reads  : 

SEATTLE 
Chief  of  the  Suquamps  and  allied  tribes 

Died  June  7,  1866 

The  firm  friend  of  the  whites,  and  for  him 

the  city  of  Seattle  was  named  by 

its  founders 

On  the  reverse  is  inscribed  the  following  : 

Baptismal  name,  Noah  Sealth.     Age  probably 
80  years. 

That  is  the  only  bit  of  history  there  is  about  or  on  the  monument.  The  little 
plot  is  not  enclosed,  and  the  weeds  have  full  possession.  The  dozen  or  more 
graves  in  the  same  plot  are  of  the  family  of  the  old  chief,  but  the  Texan  fails 
now  to  call  them  by  name.  He  however  takes  exception  to  the  inscription  as 
being  incorrect,  and  in  part  superfluous.  He  objects  to  the  name  Sealth  or  Se- 
attle, but  says  the  Indian  pronunciation  was  as  near  Se-at-tlee  as  the  English 
language  can  reproduce  it.  The  word  Sealth,  says  Deshaw,  was  the  translation 
of  the  old  settlers  who  lived  on  Elliott  bay.  The  old  chief  himself  spoke 
the  name  for  him  a  thousand  times  or  more  as  given  above,  as  did  the  people 
of  the  Old-Man-House.  The  Indians  never  knew  the  old  chief  by  the  name  of 
Noah,  that  word  being  used  probably  but  once,  and  that  at  the  time  of  his  bap- 
tism into  the  Catholic  faith. 

There  are  graves  of  other  old-time  chiefs  in  the  little  churchyard,  the  most 


28 


THE    SIWASH 


conspicuous  one  being  that  of  Alex.  George,  whose  little  monument  is  sur- 
rounded by  twenty-two  other  graves,  all  enclosed  in  a  neat  white-washed  picket 
fence.  They  are  all  of  the  immediate  family  of  the  dead  chieftain. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  village  we  stop  and  inspect  the  garden  and  orchard 
of  the  boss  gardener  of  the  Indians,  John  Kettle.  Besides  himself  and  wife,  he 
has  about  a  score  of  dogs  of  every  hair  and  color,  which  set  up  a  perfect  pan- 
demonium as  we  approach.  Kettle  is  one  of  the  old  slaves,  a  Clayoquot  sound, 
or  West  coast  Indian,  who  was  sold  to  a  chief  of  the  allied  tribes  when  a  boy 
by  some  other  tribe  who  had  captured  him  and  brought  him  into  the  Sound 
country.  Kettle  seemed  pleased  at  the  interest  shown  his  garden  and  orchard 
and  said  he  had  160  acres  of  fine  land,  and  some  day  would  be  a  rich  Indian. 

Kettle  when  brought  into  the  allied  tribes'  camp  could  not  speak  a  word  of 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    VILLAGE    AS    IT    APPEARS    TO-DAY 

their  language  nor  could  they  understand  him.  He  was  almost  starved.  The 
old  chief  who  bought  him  was  with  the  family  eating  from  a  big  kettle  of 
roasted  or  boiled  clams.  When  Siwash  and  Chinook  failed,  the  old  chief 
motioned  to  his  slave  to  eat  clams.  John  didn't  wait  for  a  second  bidding,  and 
soon  finished  the  kettle  of  clams.  Then  another  kettle  filled  with  the  bivalves 
was  prepared  for  him.  John  had  heard  the  Indians  speak  the  word  kettle  sev- 
eral times  when  dipping  into  the  pot  and  he  took  the  word  to  mean  clams.  So 
John  began  to  call  out  as  best  he  could,  "  kettle,  kettle."  "Umph,"  cried  the 
old  chief  in  Siwash,  "  he  wants  more  clams.  I  have  it,  that  will  be  his  name, 
John  Kettle,"  and  from  that  day  to  this  the  new  slave  was  called  John  Kettle. 
The  fellow  is  not  over  35  years  old,  but  his  wife,  who  has  been  married  five 
or  six  times  and  had  a  cultus  husband  every  time,  and  who  has  been  beaten  all 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  29 

through  her  life,  looks  as  if  she  might  be  John  Kettle's  grandmother  instead  of 
his  spouse. 

The  first  ' '  Boston  ' '  house  built  on  the  reservation  is  still  standing  and  occu- 
pied by  one  of  the  chief  men  of  the  village.  It  was  built  entirely  at  the  expense 
of  William  Deshaw  as  his  first  free  offering  towards  a  reform  in  the  mode  of  life 
of  the  Old-Man-House  Indians.  This  was  a  reform  very  much  desired  by  the 
government  at  that  time,  but  towards  the  accomplishment  of  which  it  did  very 
little  according  to  Mr.  Deshaw. 

The  Old- Man-House  agency  was,  according  to  this  authority,  very  much  of  a 
sinecure  to  the  early  agents,  a  half  dozen  of  whom  he  thinks,  probably  never 
set  foot  on  the  agency.  Deshaw  for  several  years  acted  as  a  sub-agent  for  these 
appointees  and  virtually  had  the  say  in  everything  at  Old-Man-House  or  that 
concerned  the  allied  tribes.  He  got  to  be  such  a  trusted  lieutenant  that  he  would 
be  intrusted  with  large  sums  of  money  to  spend  for  the  Indians  and  at  one  time 
had  $  18.000  which  the  government  gave  him  and  with  which  he  bought  sup- 
plies in  Portland.  This  was  during  the  incumbency  of  the  late  George  D.  Hill 
of  Seattle  as  Indian  agent.  Hillory  Butler  of  Seattle  was  another  agent  for 
whom  Mr.  Deshaw  looked  after  things  at  Old- Man-House. 

The  first  great  duty  with  which  the  government  charged  Mr.  Deshaw  was 
the  breaking  up  of  the  Old-Man-House  and  the  isolation  of  the  600  or  800  In- 
dians in  separate  households  with  the  idea  of  inculcating  civilized  ideas  of  liv- 
ing. It  was  a  hard  task  and  one  fraught  with  many  disappointments  before  it 
was  accomplished.  The  Indians  were  a  curious  lot.  To-day  they  were  your 
friends ;  to-morrow  they  were  ready  to  plug  you  full  of  lead  from  an  old  Hud- 
sons  bay  company's  musket.  Finally  he  got  one  or  two  to  make  the  first 
attempts  at  separate  residence  and  by  degrees  got  them  all  out  of  the  building 
and  ruined  it  from  further  inhabitancy.  But  in  almost  every  instance  the 
Indians  wanted  the  work  all  done  by  the  sub-agent  and  refused  to  lend  a  hand 
themselves. 

Old  Chief  Sealth  was  a  great  power  at  Old-Man-House  and  lived  for  several 
years  after  Mr.  Deshaw  went  among  them.  He  .became  very  friendly  with  the 
sub-agent  and  accepted  his  advice  in  everything  and  tried  to  make  his  people 
live  up  to  the  orders  of  the  great  father  at  Washington  City.  According  to 
Deshaw,  the  old  chief  was  greatly  reverenced  and  to  as  great  degree  feared  by 
the  Indians.  Sealth  gave  all  the  assistance  in  his  power  to  Deshaw  in  an  effort 
to  break  up  the  heathenish  practices  of  the  Ta-mahn  a-wis  men  and  destroy  the 
superstition  of  their  scal-al-a-toots,  but  these  evils  were  never  eradicated  and  to 
this  day,  but  for  the  ridicule  cast  upon  them  by  the  whites,  they  would  still 
practice  them  openly. 

The  habit  of  burying  their  dead  in  trees  and  elevated  places  was  in  vogue 
long  after  Deshaw  went  among  them,  but  was  never  done  openly  or  with  the 


30  THE    SIWASH 

consent  of  the  old  chief.  Even  the  baneful  practice  of  slaying  the  dead  chiefs 
horse  or  dog  and  his  slaves  on  the  grave  was  religiously  carried  out  for  several 
years  after  Deshaw's  appearance  whenever  the  Indians  could  do  it  with  safety. 

Deshaw  tells  of  one  prominent  Indian  now  living  on  the  reservation,  Huston, 
who  was  a  slave  at  that  time  and  who  was  with  his  klootchman  and  his  little 
daughter  doomed  to  suffer  death  on  the  grave  of  their  master,  Chief  Ska-ga-ti- 
quis.  Huston  got  wind  of  what  the  Indians  were  about  to  attempt  and,  with 
his  klootchman  and  12-year-old  girl,  slipped  away  in  a  canoe  to  the  other  side 
of  the  narrows  and  took  refuge  in  Deshaw's  trading  store.  Seventeen  big  and 
brawny  bucks  with  Hudsons  bay  company  muskets  followed  the  refugees  over 
and  stormed  the  store.  They  rushed  in  clamorous  and  gesticulating  and 
swinging  their  guns,  and  demanded  their  prisoners,  saying  they  were  going  to 
kill  them  over  Ska-ga-ti-quis'  grave.  The  prisoners  were  hid  away  in  a  little 
side  building.  Deshaw  began  parleying  with  the  blood-thirsty  fellows  and 
directly  several  of  them  carelessly  lay  their  guns  on  the  counter.  Deshaw, 
without  attracting  attention,  moved  up  close  to  them  and  quickly  pulled  the 
guns  over  and  allowed  them  to  fall  on  the  floor  back  of  the  counter.  Almost 
at  the  same  time  old  Chief  Sealth,  who  had  heard  of  the  trouble  at  the  store, 
quickly  got  into  a  canoe,  paddled  across  and  went  rushing  into  the  store.  The 
old  chief  possessed  a  powerful  voice  and  herculean  strength. 

"  Whoo,  whoo,  do  I  hear ;  what  do  I  hear,"  he  cried  several  times  upon  his 
entry,  but  the  Indians  began  falling  back  and  said  never  a  word.  Then  the 
old  chief's  little  grand-daughter,  one  of  Mr.  Deshaw's  daughters,  yet  living, 
went  up  to  the  old  gray  head  and  in  her  Indian  and  childish  way  said,  ' '  Grand- 
pa, they  are  going  to  kill  the  Hustons  over  Ska-ga-ti-quis'  grave." 

Then,  "whoo,  whoo,"  puffed  the  old  chief,  and  grabbing  up  a  musket,  pre- 
pared to  slay  every  Indian  in  sight,  but  the  Indians  knew  the  old  fellow's  temper 
too  well  and  shot  out  of  the  doorway  in  a  twinkling,  and  went  pell-mell  into  the 
water  and  scrambled  into  their  canoes.  The  old  chief  rushing  after  theni 
grabbed  up  a  big  cedar  rail,  after  dropping  the  gun  ( it  was  entirely  too  light  for 
him),  and  tried  to  reach  them  with  that,  but  they  got  away  and  across  back  to 
the  village.  The  old  chief  kept  right  after  them,  and  once  on  his  own  side 
called  the  whole  village  together  and  made  the  people  a  speech. 

He  could  be  heard  distinctly  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  channel  haranguing 
them  on  the  evil  of  killing  their  slaves. 

"  Mr.  Deshaw,  the  big  white  medicine,  did  not  want  it  done,  Governor  Stevens 
did  not  want  it,  Colonel  Simmons  did  not  want  it,  and  the  great  chief  at  Wash- 
ington City  did  not  want  it,  and  it  must  stop."  Such  was  the  speech,  as  now 
remembered  and  translated  by  one  of  those  most  interested  in  the  occurrence. 
The  speech  seemed  to  have  a  good  effect,  at  least  for  the  time.  Guards  were 
placed  over  the  Hustons,  and  they  remained  out  of  sight  for  a  week  or  more, 


THE    OLD-MAN-HOUSE    TRIBE  31 

and  no  attempt  was  again  made  to  take  and  kill  them  in  so  barbarous  a  way. 
Until  quite  recently  several  very  aged  Siwash  resided  at  the  Old-Man-House 
reservation.  There  was  Jacob,  aged  about  75  years,  a  grandson  of  the  old 
Chief  Kitsap  ;  old  man  Williams,  aged  about  85  ;  William  Kitsap,  grandson 
of  old  Chief  Kitsap,  and  H.  S.  Alfred,  both  educated  Indians.  Old  William's 
daughter  married  a  Kitsap  county  pioneer  who  as  the  years  went  by  grew  rich 
and  prominent  and  his  half-breed  progeny  promise  to  become  honorary  and 
intelligent  members  of  society. 

When  old  Williams  was  a  boy  his  people  were  very  numerous  and  happy, 
and  dwelt  on  the  borders  of  the  salt  water  from  Vashon  island  to  Port  Town- 
send.  On  the  beach  in  front  of  Tsu-Suc-Cub,  were  drawn  up  at  all  times 
hundreds  of  canoes,  so  many  that  all  the  beach  was  covered  with  them.  Many 
thousands  of  Indians  gathered  and  lived  in  the  big  Tsu-Suc-Cub,  and  the 
country  round  about  it.  There  were  so  many  that  chiefs  Sealth  and  Kitsap 
were  very  big  Indians,  and  were  not  afraid  of  any  warlike  tribes.  Sealth  the 
first,  and  Chief  Kitsap  once  headed  an  expedition  against  the  Cape  Flattery 
and  Victoria  Indians,  but  this  was  at  so  early  a  date  that  William  himself  was 
too  young  to  take  part.  His  father  was  a  brave  and  helped  fight  the  enemy. 
At  the  head  of  great  numbers  of  war  canoes  they  raided  the  villages  of  the 
tribes  on  both  sides  of  the  straits,  and  at  Victoria  harbor  a  great  battle  was 
fought.  The  older  Chief  Sealth,  or  as  he  is  sometimes  spoken  of,  Sealth  the 
First,  it  was  said  could  drive  an  arrow  through  the  side  of  the  biggest  canoe, 
and  his  strength  was  most  wonderful.  This  expedition  was  an  epoch  in  the 
Indian  history  of  the  Puget  Sound  natives.  It  was  successful  and  the  raids 
that  had  annually  been  made  by  the  tribes  from  the  north  on  the  southern 
Indians  of  the  Sound  ceased,  and  it  was  due  to  the  bravery  of  the  two  chiefs 
Sealth  First  and  Second,  that  it  was  so.  To  the  latter  was  due  the  glory  of 
putting  a  stop  to  the  invasions  of  Puget  Sound  Indians  by  the  tribes  east  of  the 
mountains.  Sealth  the  Second,  he  for  whom  the  city  of  Seattle  was  named, 
exercised  late  in  his  life  so  powerful  an  influence  over  near-by  tribes  that  he 
was  able  to  consolidate  six  tribes  into  one,  which  took  the  name  of  Duwamish 
or  the  allied  tribes.  He  was  an  orator  ;  an  arbitrator  rather  than  a  great  war- 
rior, and  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  a  great  campaign  to  head  off  the 
invading  Indians  from  east  of  the  mountains  which  he  executed  at  one  time 
most  successfully,  never  was  engaged  in  any  great  battle.  Not  only  was  that 
affair  well  planned,  but  it  proved  a  great  and  decisive  battle.  No  whites  were 
living  on  Puget  Sound  at  the  time.  There  are  no  recorded  facts  regarding  it. 
It  was  told  by  the  father  to  the  son,  and  was  one  of  the  cherished  memories 
which  the  whites  first  heard  when  they  arrived. 

Old  Williams  was  asked  who  did  the  carving  on  the  totems  and  why  no  work 
of  the  kind  had  been  done  since  the  whites  came  among  them.     The  old  fellow 


32 


THE    SIWASH 


said  that  long  ago  there  were  many  skilled  carvers  of  totems  and  fine  canoe 
builders  and  their  implements  were  made  from  flints,  agates  and  elk  horn, 
fashioned  into  the  shape  of  rude  hatchets  and  knives.  Many,  many  years 
before,  while  the  old  Indian  was  but  a  little  boy,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  that  day 
secured  a  piece  of  iron  or  steel  from  a  Spanish  trader,  and  for  years  after  this 
piece  of  iron  was  turned  to  good  account  by  the  canoe  builders  in  the  tribes  in 
making  their  canoes.  Before  the  year  1800,  or  about  that  time,  as  arrived  at 
by  computing  the  time  given  in  his  aboriginal  way  by  old  William,  only  horn 
and  agate  hatchets  and  shell  instruments  were  used  in  the  work  of  totem  carv- 
ing or  canoe  building.  These  rude  instruments  were  fastened  on  to  rude 
handles  wound  around  and  bound  around,  and  were  deftly  handled  in  carving 
and  fashioning  the  softer  woods  as  alder  and  maple  into  totems,  canoes  or  bows 
and  arrows. 

Then  came  Vancouver,  and  from  him  old  Kitsap  procured  a  good  supply  of 
knives  and  iron  which  for  fifty  years  after  were  used  and  in  the  keeping  of  the 
tribesmen,  replacing  the  older  instruments  of  their  ancestors. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   TWANA   OR   SKOKOMISH    TRIBE 

In  the  days  and  generations  past,  when  the  Indians  were  the  only  people  who 
occupied  the  shores  of  Puget  Sound,  the  Twana  tribe,  now  the  Skokomish, 
lived  in  the  broad  strip  of  territory  bordering  on  the  west  side  of  Hood's 
canal  and  extending  back  to  the  top  of  the  Olympic  mountains  and  reaching 
from  the  Skokomish  river  on  the  south  to  Quilcene,  near  Port  Townsend,  on 
the  north.  They  had  for  neighbors  on  the  south  and  east  the  Squaxon  tribe, 
while  near  them  on  the  north  and  northwest  were  the  Clallams  and  Ma-kahs. 
On  the  west  were  the  Quillayutes  and  Quiniaults,  but  as  the  high  mountains 
intervened  there  was  not  much  intercourse  in  that  direction,  either  in  peace  or 
war.  The  Twanas  apparently  much  preferred  peace  to  war  and  happiness  on 
their  own  hunting  and  fishing  grounds  to  pillage  and  robbery,  for  there  are  no 
old-time  battle  grounds  pointed  out  now  as  having  been  once  the  scene  of  great 
carnage  among  them.  However,  they  were  Indians  and  as  remarkable  for 
their  extreme  and  foolish  superstitions  and  baneful  practices  as  any  on  the 
Sound. 

They  possessed  a  fine  country,  especially  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Skoko- 
mish river,  which  today  is  one  of  the  prettiest  places  in  the  state.  When  the 
government  made  a  treaty  with  these  Indians  and  took  most  of  their  land 
away  from  them  it  left  them  the  best  section  of  all  their  territory  for  a  perma- 
nent home.  That  was  the  ground  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  on  the  north  bank. 
Here  resides  the  remnant  of  the  Twanas,  which,  however,  is  composed  of  the 
blood  of  three  former  tribes,  the  Skokomish  proper,  Quilcenes  and  Duhl-ay- 
lips,  the  head  Indian  agent  for  whom  is  stationed  at  the  beautiful  agency  of 
Tulalip  on  the  east  side  of  the  Sound. 

There  are  about  200  of  these  mongrel  Indians  now  living  on  the  reservation 
of  5,997  acres  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Twenty  years  ago  there  were  but 
about  250  of  them,  so  that  the  decrease  in  population  has  been  comparatively 
very  small.  In  1880  a  census  taken  that  year  showed  237  Indians.  In  1890, 
ten  years  from  that  time,  there  had  been  100  deaths  on  the  reservation,  but  the 
increase  in  population  from  birth  alone  was  such  that  the  real  decrease  was  not 


34  THE    SIWASH 

more  than  fifteen  persons.  There  is  little  if  any  increase  to  the  population 
from  people  settling  there  from  other  tribes.  This  showing  is  better  than  that 
of  any  Indian  tribe  on  the  Sound,  and  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  isolation  on 
the  west  side  of  the  canal  and  removal  from  the  contaminating  influence  of 
worthless  white  people.  One  beneficial  effect  of  late  years,  really  for  the  past 
thirty  or  forty  years,  has  been  the  example  of  a  few  good  farmers  who  settled 
in  the  fine  valley  of  the  Skokomish.  Then  to,  they  have  always  been  blessed 
with  good  Indian  agents,  which  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  always  the  case  at 
many  other  reservations.  The  Indians  generally  nowadays  work  well  and 
want  to  work  and  make  good  lumbermen  in  the  logging  camps,  earning  almost 
as  much  as  the  white  men  when  the  camps  are  going. 

The  Indian  lands  are  patented  to  him  but  are  owned  in  severalty  and  there 
are  many  creditable  places  at  Skokomish.  There  is  assigned  to  a  single  Indian 
from  80  to  170  acres  according  to  whether  the  land  may  be  all  valley  or  par- 
tially hills.  No  matter  how  much  or  how  little  land  an  Indian  may  possess, 
he  seldom,  if  ever,  gets  beyond  the  point  of  a  small  truck  farmer.  If  he  hap- 
pens to  get  under  cultivation  an  area  that  would  by  a  stretch  of  the  imagina- 
tion take  the  name  of  a  field,  he  is  most  sure  to  let  out  the  land  to  a  white 
farmer  on  an  annual  cash  basis.  There  are  a  few  such  cultivated  fields  at 
Skokomish.  A  farmer,  whether  Indian  or  white,  whose  insane  desire  for 
gambling  will  lead  him  to  spend  a  whole  night  out  in  the  woods  chanting  the 
monotonous  song  of  the  "sing-gamble"  pot-latch,  at  harvest  time  is  not 
expected  to  prove  a  howling  success  as  a  granger. 

In  another  generation  if  there  are  any  Twana  Indians  left  they  will  probably 
rate  as  first-class  farmers,  for  the  government  is  progressing  very  well  in  the 
matter  of  training  them.  The  children  attend  school  ten  months  in  the  year, 
have  good  instructors  chosen  from  the  whites,  and  the  boys  have  over  them  a 
special  instructor  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  they  work  half  of  every  week-day, 
with  a  view  of  acquiring  methodical  and  industrious  habits.  This  is  abhorrent 
to  the  tender  Indian  mind,  but  as  the  entire  education  of  the  Twana  youth  is 
one  of  the  charity  undertakings  of  the  government  and  does  not  cost  the  old 
folks  a  cent,  they  seem  to  like  it  and  force  their  youngsters  to  attend.  The 
maintenance  of  the  schools  is  kept  up  by  yearly  appropriations  and  could  be 
cut  off  any  time  if  the  goverment  cared  to  do  so.  In  that  case  the  little  Twana 
might  be  permitted  to  spring  up  as  unconscious  of  the  future  as  the  weeds  that 
infest  the  door-yard  and  garden  patch  of  every  Indian  domicile.  However, 
among  the  Twanas  there  is  already  a  fair  standard  of  rudimentary  education 
acquired,  for  every  Indian  below  30  years  of  age  can  read  and  write  English, 
and  all  under  40  can  talk  the  language.  The  true  specimens  of  the  savage 
ancestors  are  the  old  men  and  women  yet  living,  who  cannot,  rather  will  not, 
admit  to  any  knowledge  of  the  English. 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE  35 

The  Indian  here  is  an  obdurate,  slow-moving  being.  He  will  begin  a  thing 
but  complete  it  in  a  year,  or  ten  years,  or  never,  just  as  the  notion  takes  him. 
At  this  time  the  residents  have  in  mind  the  construction  of  a  new  church. 
They  have  gone  so  far  in  the  undertaking  as  to  have  secured  the  lumber  and 
floated  it  from  the  mill  up  the  river  and  piled  it  upon  the  bank  of  the  stream 
on  the  reservation. 

"We  got  it  long  time  ago,"  said  one  fellow,  "to  build  a  new  church,  but 
don't  know  whether  we  will  ever  build  it  or  not." 

The  vicinity  of  the  old  lumber  pile  now  seems  to  be  a  favorite  rendesvous  for 
the  inveterate  "  sing-gamble"  players,  for  they  ride  there  from  all  directions  at 
night  time.  They  light  camp  fires  and,  forming  a  large  circle  around  it,  go 
through  their  uncanny  practices  until  the  cocks  crow  for  morning. 

All  the  male  population  of  the  reservation  over  age  are  voters  under  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States.  They  cast  their  first  vote  at  the  election  for 
delegates  to  the  state  constitutional  convention  after  the  passage  by  Congress  of 
the  enabling  act.  The  reservation  has  been  set  off  in  a  precinct  by  itself,  and 
by  this  the  Indians  elect  their  own  justices  of  the  peace  and  petty  officers  with- 
out the  interference  of  the  whites  and  without  having  anything  to  do  them- 
selves with  the  election  of  officers  to  govern  the  white  people. 

In  the  very  nature  of  things  the  Chinook  and  mother  tongues  will,  in  a  few 
years  more,  be  unknown  on  the  reservation.  So  rapidly  is  this  coming  about 
that  at  this  time  half  the  conversation  of  the  reservation  is  carried  on  in 
English,  even  when  all  engaged  in  it  are  Indians.  At  their  sing-gamble  and 
other  Indian  ceremonies  English  is  as  much  spoken  as  their  own  tongue. 

Superstition  will  only  die  out  of  the  Indian  mind  when  the  last  of  the  race 
is  dead  and  gone.  On  the  banks  of  the  lovely  Skokomish  it  would  seem  that 
superstition  could  have  no  abiding  place.  Yet  it  is  there  today  as  it  probably 
has  been  in  all  the  past  thousands  of  years.  The  beneficent  influence  of  the 
white  man's  religion  has  superceded  it  in  its  outer  and  practical  application, 
but  it  is  only  a  few  years  ago  when  the  efficacy  of  the  red  and  black  "  ta-mahn- 
a-wis"  was  thought  to  be  greater  than  all  the  religions  of  the  pale  faces  in  the 
world. 

There  were  four  kinds  of  ta-mahn-a-wis,  sometimes  spelled  ta-mahn-o-us,  or 
spirit  practices  in  vogue  among  the  Twanas  as  there  were  among  the  great 
family  of  Selish  Indians  in  Washington,  which  included  most  all,  but  not  all, 
the  tribes  from  the  Spokane  river  to  Cape  Flattery,  all  understanding  in  part  a 
common  language.  The  Cape  Indians  and  Yakimas  are  two  of  the  exceptions 
to  the  above,  according  to  some  of  the  best  informed  men  on  the  subject.  The 
word  ta-mahn-a-wis  may  be  and  was  used  in  the  sense  of  a  noun,  an  adjective 
or  a  verb.  As  a  noun  it  means  any  kind  of  a  spirit  in  the  spirit  world  from 


36  THE    SIWASH 

the  Sahg-ha-lie  Tyee,  or  supreme  being — sahg-ha-lie  meaning  greatest,  highest, 
above — to  the  klail  ta-mahn-a-wis,  or  devil,  literally,  black  spirit. 

As  an  adjective  a  ta-mahn-a-wis  stick,  stone,  person,  etc.,  is  a  thing  or 
individual  with  a  ta-mahn-a-wis  or  spirit  either  of  good  or  evil  in  it.  As  a 
verb  it  is  used  in  the  sense  of  invoking  the  aid  of  spirits,  as  "  mah-mok  ta- 
mahn-a-wis." 

The  four  kinds  of  ta-mahn-a-wis  of  the  Indians  of  the  Twana  tribe  at  least 
are:  The  "ta-mahn-a-wis  over  the  sick,"  the  incantations  of  the  medicine 
men;  the  "red  ta-mahn-a-wis,"  the  "black  ta-mahn-a-wis,"  and  the  "spirit 
land  ta-mahn-a-wis." 

The  sick  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  only  practiced  for  the  healing  of  the  sick, 
and  was  often  a  severe  and  taxing  ordeal  for  the  patient  if  he  were  really  sick. 
This  ceremony  was  always  conducted  by  the  ta-mahn-a-wis  men  assisted  by 
the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  sick  in  an  effort  to  drive  out  the  spirit  of  one 
that  was  supposed  to  have  taken  possession  of  the  body  of  the  sick. 

The  red  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  a  winter  pastime  and  was  a  common  arrange- 
ment, a  proceeding,  so  far  as  its  being  a  part  of  a  religious  belief,  a  kind  of  a 
camp-meeting.  The  red,  or  pill  ta-mahn-a-wis,  was  an  assembling  together, 
an  invocation,  in  short,  of  the  spirits  for  a  good  season  the  following  summer. 
It  generally  lasted  three  or  four  days  and  consisted  of  singing,  dancing,  the 
beating  of  tom-toms,  drums  and  the  decoration  of  the  face  and  limbs  and  body 
invariably  with  streaks  and  spots  of  red  paint.  From  this  it  was  given  the 
name  of  the  red  ta-mahn-a-wis,  pill  meaning  red. 

The  black,  or  klail  ta-mahn-a-wis,  was  the  free  masonry  of  the  Twanas  and 
was  without  doubt  the  one  great  religion  of  all  religious  practices  among 
them.  It  was  a  secret  society  to  a  very  large  extent,  and  none  but  the  initiated 
were  ever  permitted  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  It  was  a  very  severe 
initiation  that  candidates  had  to  undergo  to  get  acquainted  with  it,  and  little 
was  ever  learned  of  its  mysteries  by  the  whites.  It  was  practiced  at  Skoko- 
mish  as  late  as  1876,  but  after  that  time  it  was  never  seen.  At  that  time  it 
was  given  out  by  the  participants  that  it  was  to  be  dead  after  that.  It  is  said 
that  it  is  still  slightly  followed  by  the  Clallam  Indians  to  this  day.  No  doubt 
but  that  among  the  residents  of  the  Skokomish  reservation  there  are  many 
Indians  who  were  initiated  into  its  dreadful  mysteries,  but  their  number  is 
probably  too  few  to  revive  it.  Both  men  and  women  were  initiated  into  the 
practice  and  mysteries  of  the  black  ta-mahn-a-wis.  The  significance  of  this 
ceremony,  from  the  secretiveness  of  the  Indians,  was  never  clearly  learned  by 
the  old  residents,  who  had  most  to  do  with  the  Indians,  and  it  probably  will 
never  be  understood,  at  least  as  it  was  believed  in  by  the  various  tribes. 

In  the  practice  of  it,  however,  the  Indians  invariably  painted  themselves 
very  hideously  with  black  paint,  daubing  and  streaking  the  face  and  limbs, 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE  37 

and  while  going  through  the  ceremony  of  initiation  were  without  clothing. 
Masks  made  in  rude  imitation  of  the  wolf  head  were  used,  and  these  were 
called  shway-at-sho-sin.  The  mask  was  adopted  by  the  Twanas  from  the 
Clallam  tribe,  as  was  the  name  and  hence  the  word  is  the  same  in  both  lan- 
guages. The  Twanas  seem  to  have  imported  their  masks  from  the  Clallam 
country  in  most  part,  very  few  of  their  own  make  having  ever  been  found,  and 
these  of  a  less  degree  of  artistic  appearance.  To  a  certain  extent  the  ceremony 
of  the  black  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  a  public  one  and  many  of  the  old-timers  have 
witnessed  that  portion  of  it.  The  more  important  and  probably  much  more 
severe  part  was  the  private  ceremony  confined  to  the  initiated.  The  public 
ceremony  was  a  long  drawn  out  affair  of  dancing,  singing,  beating  of  drums 
and  tom-toms,  rattles,  etc.  During  the  progress  of  the  affair  the  candidates 
for  whose  special  benefit  the  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  given,  were  stripped  and  painted 
and  put  through  all  manner  of  gyrations  and  exercises,  the  while  wearing  the 
wolf  mask,  that  in  the  least  resemble  the  antics  of  the  animals  they  were  try- 
ing to  imitate.  While  this  was  going  on  the  candidates  were  tied  about  the 
middle  with  a  long  rope,  the  loose  end  of  which  was  held  by  other  Indians  in 
order  to  keep  the  candidate  from  running  away  or  from  doing  harm  to  any 
spectator,  for  he  was  supposed  to  do  just  like  a  ferocious  and  enraged  wolf  in  all 
things.  The  other  exercises  which  are  supposed  to  put  on  the  finishing 
touches  to  the  great  event,  were  always  carried  on  in  secret  rooms  made  of 
their  blankets  or  tents  and  were  never  permitted  to  be  witnessed. 

The  practice  of  the  spirit  land  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  associated  with  or 
founded  on  a  very  pretty  myth  believed  in  by  the  old  Twanas  to  the  effect  that 
a  year  or  two  perhaps  before  an  Indian  died  he  or  she  lost  his  or  her  spirit.  Spirits 
from  other  places,  always  from  below,  would  visit  the  Indian  and,  quite 
unaware  to  the  person  would  take  and  carry  off  the  spirit  and  sail  with  it  to  their 
abiding  place,  there  to  hold  it  in  captivity  unless  released  by  spirits  from  this 
life.  Whenever  an  Indian  lost  his  spirit  in  this  way  there  would  always  be  a 
little  left  him  which  would  be  sufficient  to  last  him  until  he  died,  by  which 
time  every  particle  of  it  was  absorbed,  vanished,  gone.  To  elaborate  the 
fanciful  theory,  there  were  always  living  Indians  who  professed  to  be  able  to 
go  to  the  spirit  land,  down  below,  and  see  what  was  going  on  and  recognize 
spirits  taken  from  Indians  of  his  own  tribe  and  village.  These  trips  may  be 
made  to  the  spirit  regions  at  the  will  of  the  Indians,  sometimes  when  off  in 
the  hills  hunting,  or  when  out  on  the  salt  water  chasing  the  whale  or  the  seal. 
After  a  journey  of  such  a  character  the  Indian's  word  was  never  doubted  by 
his  tribe's  people,  when  he  on  returning  informed  them  that  he  had  been  on  a 
journey  below  and  had  seen  the  captured  spirits  of  this  or  that  relative  or 
friend.  The  next  question  was  as  to  the  recovery  of  the  spirit,  and  there  were 
always  willing  hands  ready  to  assist. 


38  THE    SIWASH 

There  was  always  great  ceremony,  great  care  and  at  times  extreme  caution 
to  be  maintained  in  this  undertaking.  The  Indians  had  to  make  the  journey 
down  below,  cross  their  death  river,  their  river  Styx,  and  perform  various  other 
and  wonderful  feats,  the  entire  ceremony  lasting  three  or  four  days. 

The  first  ceremony,  accompanied  by  a  great  beating  of  drums,  of  rattles,  tom- 
toms, dancing,  singing,  chanting  and  yelling,  is  that  of  breaking  the  ground  to 
effect  an  entrance  below.  This  was  done  by  digging  a  little  hole  in  the  dirt 
floor  of  the  house  where  the  ceremony  was  taking  place.  This  accomplished, 
other  mythical  performances  were  gone  through  with,  the  more  important  one 
being  ' '  cooning  ' '  across  the  Styx  river  in  a  long  procession,  where  the  greatest 
caution  was  observed,  for  the  warrior  who  should  fall  off  while  going  over  was 
doomed  to  die  before  long.  A  bridge  was  constructed  of  boards  in  the  house  by 
having  two  of  the  boards  resting  obliquely  against  the  ends  of  a  third  board, 
which  is  elevated  to  near  the  roof  of  the  building.  The  army  on  the  chase  for 
the  lost  spirit  "  cooned  it"  across  this  improvised  bridge,  and  were  then  over 
the  river  Styx  into  spirit  land.  They  searched  for  and  with  great  noise  and 
hubbub  found  the  departed  spirit,  took  possession  of  it  amidst  a  great  and  im- 
aginary battle,  and  returned  to  the  land  of  the  living.  They  would  tear  about 
the  room  during  this  performance,  rant  and  roar,  run  out  of  and  around  the 
house,  tear  the  roof  off  in  their  frenzy,  which  was  truly  a  genuine  article,  and 
then,  after  having  reached  the  limit  of  their  strength  and  exertion,  would  find 
the  spirit,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  rag  doll  or  some  other  object  just  as  ridic- 
ulous, and  carry  it  in  triumph  to  the  Indian  who  had  lost  his  spirit.  This 
individual,  so  fortunate  in  recovering  his  spirit,  and  therefore  a  new  lease  of 
life,  is  overjoyed  at  the  thought  and  laughs  and  cries  alternately,  and  concluded 
the  performance  by  a  great  manifestation  of  joy  in  every  conceivable  style. 

At  this  ceremony  the  Indians  had  an  idol  which  exercised  a  great  power,  in 
their  overwrought  imaginations,  in  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  This  idol 
was  a  very  sacred  being,  and  was  always  kept  hid  away  in  the  mountains  and 
never  brought  out  only  on  such  ceremonies.  It  was  never  given  up  to  the 
whites,  and  there  is  probably  not  now  one  of  these  strange  things  to  be  found 
anywhere.  The  only  one  known  to  have  been  seen  among  the  Twana  tribe 
was  about  four  feet  long,  of  very  rude  carving,  in  imitation  of  a  person  without 
arms  or  feet.  In  place  of  feet  the  idol  ended  in  a  stick,  so  made  that  it  could  be 
fastened  firmly  in  the  ground.  It  was  raised  in  the  center  of  the  room,  and 
around  it  the  weird  and  uncanny  ceremony  progressed.  This  idol  the  Indians 
named  Sh-but-ta-dahk,  but  just  what  its  peculiar  properties  were  probably  is 
not  known. 

Several  of  the  more  intelligent  and  younger  men  on  the  reservation  were 
talked  to  about  this  idol  or  totem,  but  they  did  not  know  anything  about  its 
history  or  supposed  properties.  One  of  the  men  said  that  about  three  years 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE  39 

ago,  while  going  through  the  woods  about  three  miles  back  of  the  reservation, 
he  came  across  a  cache  where  there  were  two  of  these  idols  hid  away.  They  were 
time-worn  and  considerably  decayed,  and  as  he  stated,  had  "  been  there  long, 
long  time."  He  placed  them  under  an  old  tree,  but  never  returned  to  get  them. 
They  had  men's  faces  carved  upon  them,  and  were  undoubtedly  genuine  Sh-but- 
ta-dahks. 

There  is  another  one  about  four  or  five  feet  long  in  the  possession  of  a  resident 
of  Lake  Cushman,  which  was  found  in  the  woods  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  back 
of  the  present  reservation.  Many,  probably  all,  of  the  Indians  of  today  on  the 
reservation  have  faith  in  the  Sh-but-ta-dahk  and  the  ceremony  of  the  spiritland, 
ta-mahn-a-wis.  One,  in  telling  about  it,  said  that  not  many  years  ago  a  spirit- 
land  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  held,  when  one  of  the  Indians  fell  while  crossing  the 
death  river,  and  that  a  short  time  after  he  died,  hence  they  knew  that  the  spirit- 
land  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  true. 

The  theory  of  the  medicine  ta-mahn-a-wis  is  that  when  a  person  is  sick  some 
evil  spirit  has  taken  possession  of  the  body,  sometimes  more  than  one  evil  spirit, 
and  of  different  kinds.  It  may  be  that  of  a  bird  or  beast,  a  bear,  a  panther, 
wolf,  a  bluejay  or  a  weasel,  or  anything  else  having  hair  or  feather  or  scale.  It 
was  always  the  duty  of  the  ta-mahn-a-wis  doctors  to  find  out  what  kind  of  a  spirit 
had  entered  the  body,  and  then  by  incantation  and  ceremony  to  drive  it  out. 
Some  dry  board  or  rail  or  piece  of  wood  was  secured  by  the  friends  of  the  patient 
and  placed  conveniently  near,  and  on  this  they  would  beat  with  sticks  to 
make  as  much  noise  as  possible,  also  bringing  into  their  aid  the  drum  and  tom- 
toms or  rattles.  The  medicine  man  would  take  a  bowl  of  water  by  the  side  of  the 
patient,  who  had  been  stretched  out  on  a  mat  on  the  ground,  and  begin  his  ex- 
aminations. He  would  chant  in  a  monotonous  way  and  perform  various  mys- 
terious things  about  and  over  the  sick  person.  Sometimes  he  would  take  hold 
of  an  arm  or  a  leg  and  lift  apparently  with  all  his  strength  without  so  much  as 
moving  the  member  in  the  least.  When  the  din  and  hubbub  would  be  suffi- 
ciently distracting  the  medicine  man  generally  discovered  what  kind  of  a  spirit 
had  taken  possession,  and  was  able  to  get  hold  of  it.  Often  he  would  raise  that 
part  of  the  person  in  which  the  spirit  had  secured  a  place  of  lodgment,  and 
would  douse  it  in  the  bowl  of  water  and  drown  it.  At  other  times  he  would 
draw  it  out  of  the  body  by  inhaling  it  in  his  own  lungs,  and  would  then  go  to 
the  door  and  give  a  great  puff  and  blow  the  evil  spirit  far  across  the  mountains 
or  water. 

If,  under  such  a  course,  the  patient  did  not  get  well  at  once,  there  was,  of 
course,  other  evil  spirits  in  the  body  which  must  be  gotten  rid  of,  and  the  pro- 
cess would  be  repeated  with  minor  variations.  By  and  by  the  patient  would 
either  get  well  naturally  or  die,  which  ended  the  matter.  In  either  case,  the 
potent  power  of  the  doctor  was  never  questioned.  The  Indians  believed  that 


40  THE    SIWASH 

while  the  body  was  in  possession  of  the  evil  spirit,  the  Indian's  spirit  may  take 
its  flight  to  some  distant  place  temporarily.  It  was  part  of  the  duty  of  the 
medicine  man  to  locate  and  bring  the  absent  spirit  back.  This  he  did  by  other 
and  mystical  processes  equally  as  absurd  to  civilized  minds.  In  one  account, 
which  was  written  out  by  an  educated  brother  of  a  sick  boy  at  the  Skokomish 
reservation,  the  departed  spirit  of  the  patient  was  discoved  15  miles  distant  at 
what  the  Indians  called  Du-hub-hub-ai,  now  called  by  the  whites  Humi-humi. 
The  evil  spirit  always  took  on  very  curious  shapes  when  drawn  on  paper  by 
the  Indians  for  the  edification  of  the  whites.  They  usually  represented  very 
vaguely  images  of  fish,  jelly-fish,  imaginary  beasts,  etc. 

That  the  Indians  of  the  Skokomish  tribe  once  engaged  in  war  is  evidenced 
by  the  existence  of  implements  of  battle  now  preserved  on  the  reservation.  Of 
their  war  clubs  there  is  one  about  twelve  inches  long,  which  weighs  three  and 
a  half  pounds.  It  is  a  big  wedge  shaped  affair,  rounded,  and  recedes  sharply 
to  a  blunt  point.  There  is  a  hole  drilled  in  the  handle  end  by  which  it  could 
be  suspended  from  the  warrior's  waist  with  buckskin  thongs.  This  weapon  was 
made,  without  doubt,  by  the  Skokomish  or  Twana  tribe. 

Another  war  implement  and  one  much  more  formidable,  is  a  long  copper 
club,  two  feet  long,  much  in  appearance  like  a  broad  sword.  This  club  also 
has  a  hole  in  the  heavier  end,  from  which  to  suspend  it  to  the  waist.  Both 
weapons  have  rude  imitations  of  the  Thunderbird  on  their  heavier  ends,  and 
go  to  show  how  thoroughly  the  Thunderbird  myth  was  believed  in  and  how  it 
pervaded  every  act  and  thought  of  Indian  life. 

Before  the  white  people  came  into  the  country  the  Indians  had  to  depend  on 
their  own  ingenuity  for  all  kinds  of  implements.  Many  of  these  are  yet  pre- 
served by  the  Indians  themselves,  as  well  as  by  the  whites.  The  Indians  are 
careless,  however,  and  as  long  as  they  can  get  an  easy  living,  don't  seem  to 
care  much  what  becomes  of  their  old  tools.  They  have  yet  a  few  of  the  old 
war  clubs,  among  them,  ta-mahn-a-wis  rattles,  made  out  of  deer  hoofs,  bear 
and  beaver  teeth,  etc.  They  have  a  few  of  the  old  style  bows  and  arrows, 
hunting  bows,  with  quivers  of  arrows  to  be  used  in  the  chase  or  in  war.  The 
latter  are  of  a  superior  workmanship,  and  must  have  occupied  lots  of  extra 
time  in  their  manufacture.  They  have  few  of  the  old  style  dress  garments, 
but  have  not  yet  lost  the  art  of  manufacture,  as  they  will  for  money  set  about 
and  make  very  interesting  dresses  and  coats  out  of  the  cedar  bark,  or  from  the 
cat-tail  reeds  that  grow  in  the  swamps  or  marsh  lands.  There  is  yet  preserved 
several  specimens  of  the  dress  of  the  nobility,  made  from  the  hair  of  the  moun- 
tain goat,  though  it  is  not  unlikely  that  these  latter  were  secured  in  barter 
from  the  tribes  occupying  land  on  the  east  side  of  Puget  Sound,  as  the  moun- 
tain goat  is  not  known  to  have  flourished  between  Puget  Sound  and  the  Pacific 
ocean. 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE 


41 


The  Twanas'  and  perhaps  many  of  the  other  Indian  tribes'  superstition  as  to 
the  origin  of  the  sun  and  moon  is  of  more  than  passing  interest.  A  very  long 
while  ago  there  lived  an  aged  Indian  woman  who  had  a  son.  He  must  have 
been  a  bright,  uncommon  lad,  for  he  was  not  only  stolen  from  home,  but 
grew  up  into  a  young  man  possessing  wonderful  powers.  The  boy  was  stolen 
from  the  care  of  his  grandmother  and  carried  away  to  distant  parts,  beyond 
the  mountains,  where  if  anyone  tried  to  follow,  the  mountains  would  come 
together  and  crush  the  life  out  of  them.  When  the  boy's  mother  learned  he 
had  been  stolen  she  was  greatly  grieved,  and  declared  she  would  find  her 
another  son,  and  so  she  did.  He  grew  apace  and  became  also  a  bright  promis- 
ing lad.  By  and  by,  as  the  days  passed  away, 
the  first  son  found  his  way  back  through  the 
treacherous  mountains  and  surprised  his  mother 
when  he  put  in  an  appearance  at  home  once 
more.  He  does  not  seem  to  have  been  pleased 
at  the  prospect  of  finding  his  place  at  home 
taken  by  a  brother,  and  he  at  once  declared  he 
would  change  the  brother  into  the  moon,  and 
let  him  rule  the  world  by  night,  while  he  him- 
self would  be  changed  into  the  sun  and  govern 
things  by  day.  This  shows  that  the  family  to 
which  this  ambitious  young  man  belonged  was  a 
great  family,  and  probably  governed  the  world 
before  that  time  in  darkness. 

The  young  man  kept  his  word  and  wrought 
the  marvelous  changes,  and  it  must  have  occa- 
sioned great  surprise  next  morning  when  the 
people  got  up  and  found  all  the  land  aglow  with 
light  and  beauty.  But  as  the  sun  got  up  higher, 
the  people  doubtless  wished  for  their  dark- 
ness back  again,  for  it  got  awfully  hot.  The 
brother — as  the  sun — in  his  great  wrath  burned 

so  fiercely  that  the  heat  dried  up  all  the  rivers  of  the  country  and  killed 
off  all  the  fishes,  and  the  people  of  the  land  sweltered  and  died  in  the  suffo- 
cating heat  that  pervaded  everything. 

The  brother  saw  that  things  could  not  last  long  in  this  way,  and  he  decided 
on  a  change.  So  he  changed  things  about,  made  his  weaker  and  younger 
brother  into  the  sun  and  himself  into  the  moon,  and  this  worked  better.  Ever 
since  that  day  there  has  always  been  "a  man  in  the  moon,"  and  a  boy  in  the 
sun,  but  the  light  of  the  latter  is  too  strong  for  the  boy's  face  to  be  seen. 

The  Skal-lal-a-toot  was  a  name  applied,  it  seems,  to  the  stick  ta-mahn-a- 


A  GUARDIAN  SPIRIT  TOTEM 


42 


THE    SIWASH 


wis,  or  spirits  of  the  woods  which  are  accredited  with  the  power  to  change  peo- 
ple into  toads,  birds,  beasts,  etc.,  and  keep  them  as  long  as  they  like,  or  until 
they  see  fit  to  return  them  to  their  proper  form. 

People  there  are  infected  with  the  evil  eye,  in  the  imagination  of  the  Indian, 
and  such  they  always  try  to  avoid — especially  so  with  children,  and  hence  a 
charm  in  the  form  of  a  rattle  was  always  provided  to  hang  over  the  bed  or 
cradle  of  the  child.  If  a  person  entered  the  room  and  made  pleasant  with  the 
child,  and  took  the  rattle,  all  well  and  good.  If  he  avoided  the  child  and  rat- 
tle and  acted  suspiciously,  look  out  for  him — he  was  one  possessed  of  the  evil 
eye,  and  was  cultus. 


WOLF-MAPK — Used  in  the  ceremony  of  the  Black  Ta-mahn-a-wis  by  the  Skokomish 

or  Twana  Indians 

Such  persons  were  invested,  in  the  Indian  mind,  with  the  spirit  power,  and 
through  the  influence  of  this  evil  eye  men  and  children  were  wrought  upon  by 
the  Skal-lal-a-toot  and  changed  to  various  forms  of  birds,  beasts,  trees,  stones, 
etc.  These  evil-eyed  geniuses  were  able  to  exert  this  influence  for  bad  to 
great  distances,  from  the  Sound  to  the  Columbia  river,  and  infect  individuals 
there  with  its  baneful  influence,  the  same  as  if  they  were  by  their  side. 

The  Indians  used  in  this  connection  a  mask,  which  might  be  called  the  cry- 
ing mask,  for  it  seems  to  have  been  used  as  a  kind  of  "Winslow's  soothing 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE  43 

syrup"  to  make  the  children  stop  crying.  A  representation  of  one  of  these 
masks  made  out  of  cedar  wood  and  still  in  good  preservation  is  shown  in  a 
sketch  herein.  The  mask  is  nothing  more  than  a  flat  board-like  piece,  longer 
than  the  ordinary  shingle,  with  the  face  cut  into  it  by  a  series  of  holes.  It 
was  placed  in  front  of  the  person's  face,  and  the  mother  or  person  using  it 
would  suddenly  appear  before  the  child  to  be  quieted,  singing  a  peculiar  mono- 
tone song.  It  was  simply  a  repetition  of  the  word  "skal-lay-a,  skal-lay-a," 
with  the  last  syllable  drawn  out  indefinitely.  Doubtless  the  charm  worked 
well,  and  such  practices  probably  had  as  much  to  do  with  the  establishment  of 
the  seeds  of  superstition  in  the  infantile  mind  as  any  after  teaching  could  have 
had. 

The  Puget  Sound  Indian  generally  appears  to  have  been  but  very  slightly 
advanced  in  the  art  of  carving  and  what  work  that  is  left  is  of  a  very  crude 
workmanship.  A  few  good  specimens  are  found  among  them  but  it  is  ques- 
tionable if  any  of  them  are  original.  In  the  illustrations  is  the  rude  carv- 
ing of  the  bear  totem  on  the  stem  of  a  canoe  found  among  the  Skokomish 
Indians,  though  the  canoe  might  have  come  from  the  northern  Indians  who 
followed  more  closely  the  practice  of  decoration  of  the  canoe. 

In  comparison  to  this  is  shown  a  carving,  the  figurehead  of  the  old  bark 
Enterprise  which  has  lain  a  wreck  on  the  beach  at  Agate  pass,  near  the  Old- 
Man-House  reservation,  Port  Madison,  since  some  time  in  the  early  SQ'S.  This 
figurehead  was  removed  from  the  old  hulk  and  is  now  among  the  Indian  relics 
of  the  old  pioneer,  William  Deshaw.  The  carving  is  the  work  of  native  East 
Indians,  according  to  the  story  of  the  skipper  of  the  old  bark.  He  came  with 
his  vessel  from  Calcutta  to  Puget  Sound,  and  while  in  a  port  of  East  India 
went  out  with  the  nobility  on  a  tiger  hunt.  Securing  one,  he  expressed  a 
desire  to  have  a  carving  of  the  head  for  his  vessel  in  honor  of  the  hunt,  and  by 
direction  of  the  rajah  or  some  other  high  potentate  it  was  made  for  him  by  the 
natives.  It  is  of  teak  wood  and  well  preserved  and  hard  as  flint  almost.  The 
figurehead  was  adorned  with  large  eyes  of  pearl  which  after  the  old  bark  was 
wrecked  were  removed.  When  the  captain  expressed  a  desire  to  have  a  tiger 
head  like  the  animal  killed,  the  Indians  set  to  work  and  in  just  two  weeks  had 
it  completed  and  at  the  vessel  when  it  was  put  on.  A  good  story  was  told  by 
William  Deshaw  on  Mr.  Meigs,  the  mill  owner,  at  the  time  the  old  bark  fell 
to  pieces  while  lying  at  the  mill  wharf.  It  was  a  calm  day,  no  wind,  but  the 
bark  all  of  a  sudden  went  to  pieces  from  sheer  age.  The  mizzen  mast  went  by 
the  board  on  the  very  day  that  Mr.  Meigs  was  in  Seattle  getting  insurance  on 
the  vessel  as  he  had  just  about  concluded  a  purchase  of  her.  Meigs  returned 
to  the  mill  that  evening  and  seeing  the  wreck  said  to  her  old  skipper  :  "Well, 
I  guess  you'd  better  get  that  old  hulk  out  of  here  or  it  will  be  tearing  down  of 
my  wharf."  They  started  in  to  get  the  old  hulk  away  from  the  wharf  and  she 


44 


THE    SIWASH 


was  hauled  across  the  narrow  stretch  of  water  onto  the  beach.  As  the  tide 
went  out  she  careened  over  and  as  Deshaw  says,  "just  naturally  wilted  away." 
The  old  bark  still  lies  on  the  beach  where  she  was  left  twenty-five  years  or 
more  ago,  and  the  sand  has  drifted  in  and  about  her  till  it  is  in  places  eight 
and  ten  feet  deep  and  she  is  almost  lost  to  view. 

The  face  mask  shown  in  the  illustrations  herewith,  now  hangs  on  the  walls 
of  Wm.  Deshaw's  store  at  Agate  pass  and  was  given  him  many  years  ago  by  a 
chief  from  the  straits  tribes,  and  was  given  with  the  assurance  that  it  was  one 
of  the  most  powerful  charms  the  Indians  possessed.  It  was  particularly  effica- 
cious in  keeping  off  the  "  evil  eye  "  and  all  that  was  necessary  to  be  done  was 


WOLF-MASK — Made  by  Skokomish  Indians,  now  in  possesion  of  Rev.  Myron  Eels 

to  keep  it  hung  up  where  everyone  who  entered  the  building  could  see  it  as  he 
entered.  If  the  person  entering  was  possessed  of  the  evil  eye,  after  seeing  it 
he  would  be  powerless  to  do  any  evil. 

Deshaw  had  performed  a  great  kindness  for  the  Indian,  and  had  won  his 
everlasting  gratitude.  The  Indian  had  no  money,  nor  could  money  have 
bought  the  charmed  mask,  but  he  gave  it  up  in  return  for  the  kindness  of  sav- 
ing his  daughter's  life. 

One  day  a  band  of  the  Indians  had  come  up  sound  and  camped  on  the  beach 
at  the  reservation  for  a  few  days.  While  there  an  Indian  daughter  of  the  chief 
got  sick  and  a  terrible  hubbub  was  raised  by  the  Indians  in  their  efforts  to 
drive  away  the  evil  eye  that  had  fallen  upon  her.  The  medicine  men  exhausted 


THE    TWANA    OR    SKOKOMISH    TRIBE  45 

all  their  powers  and  could  not  bring  her  around.  Deshaw  went  across  the 
passage  to  see  what  all  the  noise  was  about  and  found  the  girl  stripped  and 
lying  on  a  mat  on  the  beach  with  the  medicine  men  beating  her  body  with  hot 
rocks.  Blood  was  oozing  from  her  ears  and  nostrils  and  she  was  almost  dead. 
He  quickly  drove  the  medicine  men  away,  had  her  wrapped  in  blankets  and 
carried  across  the  water  to  his  trading  post.  Here  proper  treatment  and  medi- 
cine brought  her  around  and  in  a  day  or  two  she  was  in  swimming  as  lively  as 
any  of  the  other  children.  Before  leaving  the  old  chief  went  to  see  Deshaw, 
told  him  he  was  poor  and  had  no  money,  but  some  day  would  come  and  give 
him  something.  Time  passed,  and  when  another  year  had  rolled  around,  one 
day  there  walked  into  the  trading  post  an  Indian  with  something  rolled  up 
under  his  arm.  The  bundle  was  neatly  wrapped  up  in  a  lot  of  skins,  there 
being  a  beaver,  marten  and  silver  gray  fox  skin  among  them.  Deshaw  had 
forgotten  the  circumstance  of  the  sick  child  and  forgotten  the  man,  but  thought 
he  had  seen  him  at  some  previous  time.  Watching  his  opportunity,  the  old 
chief  took  the  white  man  off  to  one  side  and  recalled  the  incident  and  gave  him 
the  mask,  and  told  him  what  it  was  and  what  to  do  with  it.  Deshaw  followed 
instructions  and  apparently  the  mask  has  served  its  purpose  well.  "The  evil 
eye ' '  has  remained  aloof  from  the  trading  post,  and  it  looks  as  if,  like  the  old 
bark  above  referred  to,  it  and  its  genial  proprietor  will  continue  to  jog  on  down 
Time's  broad  way  until  they  fall  to  pieces  together,  "just  naturally  wilt 
away." 

The  totem  on  page  41  was  one  very  efficacious  in  their  superstitions  regard- 
ing children.  It  was  given  to  Deshaw  in  1861  by  Charley  G'Klobet,  an  Indian 
of  prominence  in  the  early  days.  It  was  the  guardian  spirit  of  children  before 
mentioned  herein.  The  medicine  men,  who  were  supposed  to  get  their  powers 
from  it  would  not  part  with  one  of  them  to  save  their  life,  so  deep  and  strong 
was  their  superstitious  belief  in  regard  to  it.  In  their  incantations  over  it  they 
would  kneel  before  it  at  night  on  mats  spread  out,  and  with  their  long,  greasy 
hair  done  up  in  weird  and  fanciful  knots,  their  face  and  bodies  painted  and 
besmeared  with  paints,  run  around  it,  talking  to  it,  praying  to  it  and  caressing 
it  until  they,  in  their  over-wrought  imaginations  had  imbibed  all  the  informa- 
tion it  possessed  in  regard  to  the  children. 

The  totem  has  a  long  nose,  over-hanging  brow,  two  big  bead  eyes,  with 
streaks  of  white  paint  across  the  face  half  way  between  the  eyes  and  mouth. 
There  are  daubs  of  blue  paint  all  about  the  mouth  and  chin  and  a  small  streak 
of  blue  around  the  neck.  There  is  a  circle  on  the  breast  cut  with  a  knife  and 
radiating  from  the  two  upper  arcs  are  small  three-pronged  notches  cut  in  by 
the  same  process  much  resembling  a  bird's  claw  and  intended  to  represent  the 
superstition  of  the  great  white  eagle,  from  which,  and  a  great  whale,  the 
Indians  there  are  said  to  have  sprung. 


CHAPTER  X 

DO-KA-BATL,  A  GREAT  SPIRIT 

The  religion  of  the  Siwash  is  spiritualism  pure  and  simple.  Every  tree  and 
shrub,  beast,  bird  or  fish  had  its  spirit,  and  every  mountain  was  the  abode  of 
invisible  gods  \vho  rode  on  the  winds  and  clouds. 

The  existence  of  a  supreme  being  or  spirit  was  prevalent  in  the  untutored 
minds  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Puget  Sound.  They  believed  in  it,  yet 
never  worshiped  it,  and  never  made  much  practical  use  of  this  belief.  They 
believed  in  the  devil  or  a  spirit  answering  to  that  dreaded,  though  invisible 
monster,  yet  in  their  simple  daily  life  there  were  intermediate  spirits  far  more 
potent  for  good  or  evil  to  the  minds  of  these  dusky  people.  They  laid  strong 
hold  of  the  power  for  good  of  an  individual,  independent  spirit  for  each  and 
every  inhabitant,  a  sacred,  protecting  star  through  life,  and  no  circumstances 
or  conditions  seem  ever  to  have  been  strong  enough  to  cause  a  violation  of  the 
sacred  tenets  of  that  religion.  Every  Indian  possessed  a  guardian  spirit  of 
his  own.  This  was  supposed  to  watch  over  him,  protect  him  from  the  evil 
spirits  that  filled  the  woods  and  the  air,  and  as  long  as  it  was  kept  inviolate 
was  the  one  beaming,  assuring  aud  ever-present  guardianship  of  the  Indian  life. 

When  of  youthful  age — 12  or  13  years — the  Siwash  would  betake  themselves 
to  the  woods,  to  an  isolation  as  deep  and  perfect  as  that  of  Elisha  in  the  cave 
in  the  forest  attended  by  his  ministering  ravens.  There  a  process  of  purifica- 
tion, almost  of  sanctification,  would  be  submitted  to,  continuing  from  eight  to 
thirteen  days,  or  as  long  as  the  physical  powers  of  the  Indian  could  bear  up 
under  it.  They  refrained  from  eating,  and  practiced  a  self-imposed  bodily 
chastening,  until  the  extreme  of  physical  suffering  and  mental  anguish  and 
over-excitement  being  reached,  the  Indian  mind  was  in  a  condition  to  believe 
anything  or  see  in  the  solitude  about  him  any  beast,  bird  or  spirit  the  freaks 
of  the  overwrought  imagination  might  conjure  up. 

That  settled  it.  The  first  object,  be  that  beast  or  bird,  that  passed  before 
his  vision  and  reflected  in  his  diseased  mind,  was  ever  after  sacred  to  him. 
The  spell  was  broken  and  the  Indian  hied  himself  away  to  his  fellows,  happy 
and  ready  to  stand  among  his  tribe  a  favored  individual.  In  their  hunts  and 
migrations  that  beast  or  fowl  was  never  molested  by  that  Indian.  Others 


DO-KA-BATL,    A    GREAT    SPIRIT 


47 


might  kill  or  conquer,  but  he,  never.     It  followed  him  through  life,  arid  was 
believed  to  exert  a  great  power  for  good. 

The  traditions,  superstitions  and  fetish  practices  of  the  early  Indians  of 
Skokomish  and  Old-Man-House  as  well  of  the  Sound  seem  to  blend  and  inter- 
mingle in  such  a  way  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  clearly  define  them.  Only 
deep  and  continued  study  can  avail  to  get  a  proper  understanding  of  them.  Of 
their  traditions  the  greatest  seems  to  have  been  that  of  Do-ka-batl,  a  great 
spirit,  whose  peculiar  powers  lay  in  his  ability  to  change  big  and  little  mortals 
into  any  kind  of  a  beast,  bird  or  stone  or  thing  that  his  fancy  dictated.  Under 


BOWL   AND   SPOON   OF   MOUNTAIN   SHKEP  HORN — TWANAS 

such  conditions  it  could  not  be  otherwise  than  that  very  great  respect  should 
.be  shown  to  this  masterful  spirit,  and  respect  and  reverence  for  it  seems  to  have 
been  rather  than  fear  and  trembling. 

The  tradition  of  Do-ka-batl  among  the  Twana  or  Skokomish  Indians  is  alive 
to-day  and  they  have  always  maintained  that  the  great  spirit  was  a  woman, 
while  the  tribes  north  of  them  hold  to  the  belief  that  it  was  a  man. 

At  any  rate  Do-ka-batl  made  a  great  sensation  when  he  or  she  first  took  it 
in  mind  to  go  abroad  among  the  tribes  that  infested  the  Sound.  The  coming 


48  THE    SIWASH 

was  like  a  great  big  cloud  that  overspread  the  whole  sky.  He  came  up  out  of 
the  sea,  way  over  in  the  southwest  from  the  direction  of  the  Gray's  harbor 
country.  It  does  not  appear  that  Do-ka-batl  came  with  great  noise  and  tumult, 
with  rattling  of  thunder,  or  peal  of  lightning,  but  like  the  great,  even  tem- 
pered spirit  that  he  was  ;  he  came  like  an  angel  of  peace  to  teach  the  people 
good  things.  He  found  the  Twana  Indian  ancestors  trying  to  catch  fish  in 
Hood's  canal  with  their  hands.  Do-ka-batl  taught  them  how  to  make  traps 
and  stretch  them  across  the  river  and  waters  and  take  great  quantities  of  fish , 
and  so  the  Indians  after  that  had  life  easy  and  lived  in  contentment  and  with 
little  labor. 

Then,  it  was  a  very,  very  long  time  ago,  there  were  not  deer  to  run  the 
woods,  nor  humming  birds  to  make  music  with  their  little  wings,  no  pretty 
blue  jays  to  go  cawing  among  the  trees  and  a  great  many  other  useful  and 
ornamental  things  of  nature  had  not  any  being.  Do-ka-batl  provided  for  all 
these,  though  it  must  be  said  that  a  great  many  naughty  Indians  were  sacri- 
ficed in  order  to  bring  it  about.  Their  tradition  of  Do-ka-batl's  transformation 
of  the  deer  is  much  like  that  of  many  other  of  the  Indian  tribes. 

The  great  spirit  on  his  visit  came  across  a  worthless  fellow  one  day  who  was 
making  sharp  the  edge  of  a  knife,  probably  a  very  different  affair  from  the 
steel  knife  of  to-day.  The  great  spirit  said  : 

"What  are  you  doing  there  ?"     This  in  the  Twana  dialect,  of  course. 

The  worthless  fellow  replied,  "  Nothing,"  also  in  Indian. 

The  Do-ka-batl  replied  :  "I  know  what  you  are  doing ;  you  are  going  to 
kill  me.  Give  me  that  knife." 

The  Indian  was  frightened  but  gave  up  the  knife  and  turned  to  run,  but  as 
he  did  so  the  great  spirit  stuck  it  in  his  heel  and  the  Indian  began  to  j  ump 
about  and  he  has  been  jumping  about  ever  since  in  the  shape  of  a  deer,  for  he 
was  quickly  transformed  into  one  as  soon  as  the  knife  entered  his  heel.  The 
little  hoof  that  sticks  out  of  the  deer's  foot  just  above  the  two  main  hoof  toes 
and  at  the  back  is  the  handle  of  the  knife  that  Do-ka-batl  stuck  there. 

While  among  the  Twanas  Do-ka-batl  came  across  another  fellow  flopping  his 
hands  over  his  head  much  like  a  donkey  does  his  ears  when  keeping  the  gnats 
and  flies  out  of  his  eyes.  The  Indian,  however,  was  trying  to  keep  off  the 
rain.  Do-ka-batl  thought  that  a  fellow  who  was  afraid  of  getting  wet  was  no 
good,  so  he  changed  him  into  a  humming  bird  while  he  was  still  at  the  foolish, 
pastime,  and  the  Indians  say  that  is  why  the  humming  bird  always  keeps  its 
wings  going.  The  Indian  when  changed  did  not  stop  his  foolish  flopping  of 
his  hands,  but  kept  right  on. 

One  day,  while  Do-ka-batl  tarried  among  them  they  were  at  their  ta-mahn- 
a-wis,  and  one  of  their  medicine  men,  probably  all  of  them,  had  his  shock  of 
black  greasy  hair  done  up  in  a  top-knot  on  the  top  of  his  head.  This  angered 


DO-KA-BATL,    A    GREAT    SPIRIT  49 

Do-ka-batl  and  he  thought  such  an  Indian  would  be  more  useful  in  the  form  of 
a  pretty  bird,  so  he  changed  him  into  a  blue  jay,  with  his  top-knot  still  tied 
up  on  the  top  of  his  head.  That  is  why  the  blue  jay  wears  his  hair  pompa- 
dour. The  grating  sound  of  the  blue  jay's  voice  probably  is  a  reproduction  of 
the  medicine  man's  song  at  the  time,  though  this  does  not  form  a  part  of  the 
tradition. 

There  is  a  very  pretty  tradition  among  the  Indians  at  the  Skokomish  reser- 
vation about  the  origin  of  the  big  marsh  lands  at  the  mouth  of  that  river.  A 
vast  reed-grown  area  blocks  up  the  river  to-day  and  it  is  a  great  place  for  all 
kinds  of  water  fowl  and  the  like.  Cat-tails  grow  there  enough  for  all  the  rush 
mats  of  the  entire  Indian  population,  so  that  while  Do-ka-batl  under  the  guise 
of  his  wrath  made  a  great  transformation  that  brought  lasting  good  to  the  red 
faced  people.  When  Do-ka-batl  left  the  Twana  village  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Skokomish  to  continue  his  journey  on  down  the  beautiful  shores  of  the  canal 
his  big  foot  slipped  from  under  him  at  the  edge  of  the  water  and  he  fell. 

This  made  him  angry  and  he  cursed  the  ground,  and,  lo ;  the  water  went 
away  and  a  great  mass  of  ground  rose  up,  half  sea  half  land,  and  so  it  is  to 
this  day.  The  pretty  cat-tails  and  tula  grass  came  up  over  the  ground  and  the 
ducks  and  geese  came  and  made  their  nests  and  gathered  the  tender  shoots  and 
leaves  of  the  sea- weed  for  food.  Had  it  been  any  other  great  spirit  than  Do-ka- 
batl  he  might  have  placed  a  curse  on  the  people  of  the  Indian  village  rather 
than  on  the  ground,  but  he  did  not  and  they  have  lived  and  prospered  ever 
since.  Though  their  number  is  small  to-day  they  have  the  best  gardens  and 
fields  and  orchards  and  houses  of  all  the  Indian  people  on  the  Sound.  Do-ka- 
batl  continued  his  journey  down  the  canal  after  getting  upon  his  feet  again  and 
to  this  day  the  Indians  still  point  to  the  marks  in  the  rocks  along  the  beach 
made  by  his  big  feet.  There  are  two  big  prints  a  few  miles  from  the  beach 
close  to  what  is  now  Hoodsport,  which  have  vague  resemblance  to  a  mammoth 
foot-print,  and  these  the  Indians  say  were  made  by  Do-ka-batl. 

Their  traditional  story  of  the  deluge  is  much  like  that  told  by  some  of  the 
eastern  tribes,  excepting  as  to  canoes  which,  of  course,  the  Indians  here  used 
to  ascend  to  the  top  of  their  biggest  mountains  instead  of  going  up  horse-back. 

With  the  Twana  Indians  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  onto  the  highest 
mountain,  but  on  one  much  less  in  height.  The  big  waters  kept  creeping  up 
the  mountain  sides  and  as  the  Indians  had  neglected  to  tie  their  canoes  many 
of  them  were  swept  away  and  carried  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river, 
and  there  the  survivors  waited  until  the  floods  abated,  and  formed  another 
tribe. 

Some  very  long  cedar  bark  canoes  remained  to  the  Indians,  however.  Do-ka- 
batl,  or  some  other  good  and  friendly  spirit,  however,  must  have  been  about  to 
look  after  the  Twana  Indians,  for  the  waters  acted  as  if  they  were  not  allowed 


50 


THE    SIWASH 


to  engulf  the  Indians  on  the  lower  mountains.  Instead  of  presenting  a  level 
plane  the  waters  took  the  position  of  an  inclined  plane,  reaching  from  the  top 
of  the  higher  mountain  which  they  engulfed  down  to  the  peak  of  the  lower 
one,  whose  top  was  not  covered,  and  so  the  Indians  were  saved.  These  moun- 
tains, in  the  tradition,  were  far  to  the  northeast  or  east  from  the  site  of  the 
Twana  Indian  village  and  the  Indians  traveled  a  long  time  in  their  canoes  to 
reach  them. 

One  day  an  Indian  lad  was  going  with  his  gourd  for  water.  The  boy  or  the 
water  he  was  carrying  was  making  a  ' '  chug,  chug,  chug  ' '  noise,  that  sounded 
much  like  the  song  of  the  turtledove  nowadays.  The  Do-ka-batl  was  near  at 
the  time  and  not  liking  the  noise  he  transformed  the  Indian  boy  into  a  dove 
and  sent  him  off  into  the  woods  to  sing  away  his  life  in  solitude,  and  that  is 
why  the  song  of  the  turtledove  can  be  heard  floating  out  in  summer  days  from 
among  the  green  branches  and  woods  of  the  forests. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THEIR   GAME   OF  SING-GAMBLE 

There  are  still  many  practices  of  the  early  Indians  continued  through  the 
present  generation  of  half  civilized  and  half-blood  descendants.  The  Indian 
has  an  inveterate  love  of  gambling.  Indeed,  the  Indian  life  is  all  a  game  of 
chance,  so  superstitious  a  being  is  he.  They  probably  have  gambled  ever  since 
the  days  of  the  first  Indian.  Among  the  games  is  that  of  "sing-gamble," 
which  though  divested  of  much  of  its  old-time  ceremony,  is  still  the  great  game  of 
chance  among  them.  In  its  simple  form  it  is  but  a  plain  game  of  guessing  with 
the  chances  equally  for  or  against  the  players.  The  Indians,  however,  believe 
in  it  with  all  their  soul  and  they  will  throw  their  whole  soul  into  it  to-day  as 
they  will  risk  their  all,  horses,  dogs,  canoes,  jewelry,  almost  their  wives  and 
children  upon  its  infatuous  chances.  The  preparation  and  ceremony  formerly 
attendant  upon  it  is  what  gave  to  the  game  its  great  renown.  To-day  when 
played  with  more  than  a  dozen  persons  it  is  still  a  game  of  great  moment.  The 
writer,  who  recently  visited  the  Skokomish  Indians  had  the  pleasure  of  wit- 
nessing a  "sing-gamble,"  which  lasted  almost  an  entire  night,  though  but  a 
few  took  part.  The  illustration  accompanying  this  story  is  a  good  representa- 
tion of  the  scene,  as  it  is  an  exact  likeness  of  the  half-breed  and  full-blood 
Indians  who  participated.  Night  time,  that  lends  the  most  weirdness,  is  chosen 
as  the  time  for  the  "  sing-gamble." 

In  brief,  a  huge  fire  was  built,  on  either  side  of  which  a  long  board  was  laid 
down  on  a  shorter  piece,  so  that  they  might  be  said  to  represent  the  strings  of  a 
violin.  The  players  ranged  themselves  back  of  the  boards  in  two  opposing  sides. 
The  gambling  paraphernalia  consisted  of  several  sticks  of  green  alder  with  the 
bark  peeled  off,  excepting  some  that  had  a  little  ring  of  bark  left  around  the 
middle  of  the  stick.  Counters  for  the  game  were  secured  in  the  shape  of  sharp- 
ened cedar  sticks,  which  were  set  in  the  ground  on  either  side  of  the  fire  in  front 
of  the  players.  In  that  instance  30  points  constituted  the  game,  though  it  is 
often  run  up  to  60.  Preliminary  to  the  start  the  bets  had  to  be  arranged  be- 
tween the  players.  Two  canoes,  a  silver  watch,  two  ponies,  $1.50  in  silver,  a 
coat,  a  shirt  and  some  other  things  were  wagered  on  the  result.  This  prelimi- 


52  THE    SIWASH 

nary  took  up  a  great  deal  of  time  and  much  talking,  but  was  finally  adjusted 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  Then  the  game  began. 

Two  of  the  players  on  one  side  selected  each  two  of  the  alder  sticks,  which 
were  about  four  inches  long  and  an  inch  in  diameter.  Each  man  took  one 
clean  of  bark  and  one  with  the  circle  of  bark  left  in  the  middle,  that  was  the 
distinguishing  mark.  The  point  to  be  detected  by  the  opposing  side  was  which 
hand  held  the  clean  stick  or  which  the  one  with  the  bark  on  it.  First  the  two 
Indians  having  the  sticks  fumbled  with  them  under  their  shirts,  then  they  brought 
them  forth  and  the  music  began,  all  the  Indians  on  that  side  joining  in  and  at  the 
same  time  those  not  holding  the  sticks  keeping  time  by  rapping  on  the  board  in 
front  of  them  with  long  sticks  of  hard  wood.  The  music,  if  such  it  could  be 
called,  was  rapid  and  vociferous,  a  kind  of  sing-song  monotone  drawling  affair, 
which  at  times  changed  to  something  very  like  a  rude  melody. 

All  this  time  the  two  players  were  swinging  their  hands  at  half  arm,  bending 
at  the  elbow,  in  front  of  them,  while  they  leaned  far  forward  with  their  bodies, 
anon  at  times  throwing  their  heads  back  and  their  chests  out  and  all  the  time 
keeping  up  that  dreadful,  unearthly  singing.  Occasionally  they  would 
dextrously  throw  the  short  sticks  in  the  air,  catch  them  again  and  slap  them 
under  their  shirts,  bring  them  forth  again,  all  the  time  keeping  up  with  the  pro- 
cession of  noise  and  the  motions  of  their  bodies. 

The  more  pandemonium,  the  more  hurrah  the  harder  it  was  supposed  to  be 
for  the  opponents  to  guess  the  proper  hand  that  held  the  bark-ringed  stick. 

Whenever  an  opponent  made  a  guess  he  quickly  threw  out  one  hand  to  arm's 
length  in  a  pointing  way,  while  with  the  other  he  made  a  fanning  motion  in  a 
half  circle,  placing  the  palm  of  the  hand  over  the  other  arm  at  about  the  elbow. 
Practice  makes  this  a  very  graceful  motion.  The  singing  and  noise  ceases  and 
the  player  opens  up  his  hands.  If  the  other  has  guessed  rightly,  the  two  sticks 
are  tossed  across  the  fire  and  the  other  side  takes  them  up  while  the  men  just 
losing  them  become  the  guessers.  Two  Indians  do  the  playing  while  two  are 
selected  on  the  other  side  to  do  the  guessing.  Whenever  one  side  makes  a 
point,  which  consists  in  a  failure  of  the  opponents  to  guess  rightly,  they  mark 
it  up  by  sticking  one  of  the  cedar  sticks  into  the  ground  in  front  of  them.  When 
they  lose  they  pull  one  out. 

This  game  lasted  from  about  9  in  the  evening  until  3  in  the  morning,  and 
before  it  ended  the  Indians  were  nearly  exhausted  from  their  excessive  singing 
and  excited  motions.  Sweat  poured  off  some  of  them  in  streams  during  the  per- 
formance, and  they  divested  themselves  of  everything  but  trousers  and  shirt. 
Some  became  very  hoarse  from  the  singing.  Many  of  them  rode  to  the  scene 
on  their  ponies  from  distances  of  several  miles  and  next  day  it  was  one  of  the 
topics  of  the  reservation. 


CHAPTER  XII 

TWANA  THUNDERBIRD 

The  Rev.  Myron  Eells,  who  for  a  score  of  years  has  been  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians  of  Puget  Sound,  has  made  investigations  into  the  myths  and  tradi- 
tions of  the  people  among  whom  he  has  labored,  and  has  stored  up  many  an  in- 
teresting story  of  the  Thunderbird  superstition.  He  says: 

The  general  idea  among  the  Indians  is  that  thunder  is  caused  by  an  immense 
bird,  whose  size  darkens  the  heavens,  whose  body  is  the  thunder  cloud,  the 
flapping  of  whose  wings  causes  the  thunder,  and  the  bolts  of  fire,  which  it  sends 
out  of  its  mouth  to  kill  the  whale  for  its  food,  are  the  lightning.  The  Makahs 
and  some  other  tribes,  however,  invest  the  animal  with  a  twofold  character, 
human  and  bird-like.  According  to  them  the  being  is  supposed  to  be  a  gigantic 
Indian,  named  in  the  dialects  of  the  various  coast  tribes  Kakaitch,  T'hlu-kluts, 
and  Tu-tutsh,  the  latter  being  the  Nootkan  name.  He  lives  in  the  highest 
mountains  and  his  food  consists  of  whales.  When  he  goes  after  food  he  puts  on 
a  great  garment,  which  is  made  of  a  bird's  head,  a  pair  of  very  large  wings,  and 
a  feather  covering  for  his  body,  and  around  his  waist  he  ties  the  lightning  fish, 
which  slightly  resembles  the  sea  horse.  This  animal  has  a  head  as  sharp  as  a 
knife,  and  when  he  sees  a  whale  he  darts  the  lightning  fish  into  its  body,  which 
he  then  seizes  and  carries  to  his  home.  Occasionally,  however,  he  strikes  a 
tree,  and  more  seldom  a  man. 

The  origin  of  the  bird,  according  to  Mr.  Swan,  as  given  by  the  Chehalis  and 
Chinook  Indians,  is  as  follows:  '  'Ages  ago  an  old  man  named  Too-lux,  or  the 
south  wind,  while  traveling  north,  met  an  old  woman  named  Quoots-hooi,  who 
was  an  ogress  or  giantess.  He  asked  her  for  food,  when  she  gave  him  a  net, 
telling  him  that  she  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  he  must  go  and  try  to  catch  some 
fish.  He  accordingly  dragged  the  net  and  succeeded  in  catching  the  grampus, 
or,  as  the  Indians  called  it,  a  little  whale.  This  he  was  about  to  cut  with  his 
knife,  when  an  old  woman  cried  out  to  him  to  take  a  sharp  shell  and  not  to  cut 
the  fish  crossways,  but  split  it  down  the  back.  Without  giving  heed  to  what 
she  said  he  cut  the  fish  across  the  side  and  was  about  to  take  off  a  piece  of  blub- 
ber, but  the  fish  immediately  changed  into  an  immense  bird,  that,  when  flying, 


54  THE    SIWASH 

completely  obscured  the  sun,  and  the  noise  made  by  its  wings  shook  the  earth." 
They  also  add  that  this  Thunderbird  flew  to  the  north  and  lit  on  the  top  of  the 
Saddleback  mountain,  near  the  Columbia  river,  where  it  laid  a  nest  full  of  eggs. 
It  was  followed  by  the  giantess,  who  found  the  eggs;  whereupon  she  began  to 
break  and  eat  them,  and  from  these  mankind,  or  at  least  the  Chehalis  and  Chi- 
nook tribes,  were  produced.  The  Thunderbird,  called  Hahness  by  those  Indians, 
came  back,  and,  finding  its  nest  destroyed,  went  to  Too-lux,  the  south  wind, 


THE    THUNDERBIRD    MASK — TWANAS 


TWANA    THUNDERBIRD  55 

for  redress,  but  neither  of  them  could  ever  find  the  ogress,  although  they  regu- 
larly went  north  every  year. 

As  to  the  cause  of  thunder  among  these  tribes  Mr.  Swan  says  that  when  a 
young  girl  reaches  womanhood  she  has  to  go  through  a  process  of  purification , 
which  lasts  a  month.  Among  other  customs  at  this  time,  if  there  is  a  south- 
west wind,  with  signs  of  rain,  she  must  on  no  account  go  out  of  doors,  else  the 
southwest  wind  is  so  offended  that  he  will  send  the  Thunderbird,  who  then,  by 
shaking  his  wings,  causes  the  thunder,  and  from  whose  eyes  go  forth  the  flashes 
of  lightning.  As  far  as  Mr.  Swan  knew,  every  thunder  storm  which  occurred 
while  he  lived  at  Shoalwater  Bay  (three  years)  was  attributed  by  the  Indians 
to  this  cause — that  is,  to  some  girl  disobeying  this  law. 

The  Indians  are  very  superstitious  in  regard  to  this  bird,  believing  that  if 
they  possess  any  feather,  bone  or  other  part  of  it,  or  bone  of  the  lightning  fish, 
it  will  be  of  supernatural  advantage  to  them.  A  Makah,  who  had  been  very 
sick,  was  reduced  to  a  skeleton,  and  it  was  believed  could  not  recover,  yet  he 
managed  to  crawl  one  day,  says  Mr.  Swan,  to  a  brook  near  by,  and  while  there 
he  heard  a  rustling  which  so  frightened  him  that  he  covered  his  face  with  his 
blanket.  Peeping  out  he  saw  a  raven  near  him,  apparently  trying  to  throw  up 
something,  and,  according  to  the  Indian,  it  did  throw  up  a  piece  of  bone 
about  three  inches  long.  The  Indian  secured  this,  believing  it  to  be  a  bone  of 
the  Thunderbird,  and  he  was  told  by  the  Indian  doctors  that  it  was  a  medi- 
cine sent  to  him  by  his  Ta-mahn-a-wis,  or  guardian  spirit,  to  cure  him.  It 
was  a  fact  that  he  did  recover  very  quickly,  perhaps  through  the  effect  of 
his  imagining  it  to  be  such  a  bone  and  a  strong  medicine.  It  may  also  have 
been  dropped  by  the  raven. 

On  one  occasion,  at  a  display  of  fireworks  in  Port  Townsend,  a  number  of 
rockets  bursting  showed  fiery  serpents.  These  the  Indians  believed  belonged 
to  the  Thunderbird,  and  offered  large  sums  for  pieces  of  the  animal.  They  told 
Mr.  Swan  they  would  give  two  hundred  dollars  for  a  backbone  of  one. 

A  Quiniault  Indian  once  professed  to  have  obtained  a  feather  of  one  of  these 
birds.  He  said  he  saw  one  of  them  light,  and,  creeping  up  softly,  tied  a  buck- 
skin string  to  one  of  its  feathers  and  fastened  the  other  end  to  a  stump.  When 
the  bird  flew  away  it  left  the  feather,  which  was  forty  fathoms  long.  No  other 
Indian  saw  it,  for  he  was  careful  to  keep  it  hid,  but  possession  of  it  was  not 
questioned  by  the  rest,  as  he  was  very  successful  in  catching  sea  otter.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Makahs,  one  of  the  principal  homes  of  the  bird  is  on  a  mountain 
back  of  Clayoquot,  on  Vancouver  island,  where  is  a  lake,  and  around  it  the  In- 
dians say  are  many  bones  of  whales  which  the  bird  has  killed. 

Many  of  the  northwestern  Indians  have  a  performance  in  honor  of  this  Thun- 
derbird, which  is  called  the  thunderbird  performance  or  "black  ta-mahn-a-wis. " 
It  is  said  to  have  originated  with  the  Nittinat  Indians,  according  to  the  follow- 


56  THE    SIWASH 

ing  legend,  as  recorded  by  Mr.  Swan:  Two  men  had  fallen  in  love  with  the 
same  woman,  but  she  would  not  give  either  the  preference,  whereupon  they 
began  to  quarrel.  But  one  of  them,  of  more  sense  than  the  other,  said:  "Do 
not  let  us  fight  about  that  squaw.  I  will  go  and  see  the  chief  of  the  wolves  and 
he  will  tell  me  what  is  to  be  done,  but  I  cannot  get  to  his  house  except  by 
stratagem.  Now,  they  will  know  we  are  at  variance;  so  do  you  take  me  by 
the  hair  and  drag  me  over  these  sharp  rocks,  which  are  covered  with  barnacles, 
and  I  shall  bleed  and  pretend  to  be.  dead,  and  the  wolves  will  come  and  carry 
me  away  to  their  house."  This  was  done,  but  when  the  wolves  were  ready  to 
eat  him  he  jumped  up  and  astonished  them  by  his  boldness.  The  chief  wolf 
was  so  much  pleased  with  his  bravery  that  he  taught  the  man  the  mysteries  of 
the  Thunderbird  performance.  This,  the  most  savage  of  all  the  Indian  cere- 
monies, spread  among  all  the  Indians  on  Puget  Sound,  as  well  as  to  the  north, 
the  latter  being  the  most  savage  in  the  performance  of  the  ceremonies.  Among 
other  things,  the  performers  hoot  like  owls,  howl  like  wolves,  paint  their  bodies 
black,  especially  the  face,  from  which  fact,  in  whole  or  in  part,  comes  the  Eng- 
lish name  ' '  black  tamahnawis;"  scarify  their  arms,  legs  and  sometimes  the  body, 
so  as  to  bleed  profusely,  in  remembrance  of  its  origin;  they  make  much  noise 
by  firing  guns,  pound  on  drums  to  represent  thunder,  flash  torches  of  pitchwood 
about  as  a  representation  of  lightning,  and  whistle  sharply  in  imitation  of  the 
wind.  The  ceremonies,  however,  vary  in  different  tribes,  being  much  more 
savage  and  bloody  in  some  than  in  others.  Among  the  Makahs  five  days  are 
usually  occupied  in  secret  ceremonies,  such  as  initiating  candidates  and  other 
performances,  before  any  public  outdoor  ceremonies  take  place.  Among  the 
Clallams  the  candidate  for  initiation  is  put  into  a  kind  of  mesmeric  sleep,  which 
does  not  appear  to  be  the  case  with  the  Makahs.  Among  the  Clallams,  how- 
ever, the  secret  ceremonies  are  not  always  as  long  as  among  the  Makahs. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SUPERSTITION  THEIR   RELIGION 

Superstition  was  born  with  the  first  man,  and  is  about  the  only  thing  in  the 
world  that  remains  unchanged  today.  The  more  ignorant  the  people  the  deeper 
we  find  them  plunged  into  the  dark  maze  of  the  mythical.  People  of  highly 
civilized  nations  are  not  free  from  this  clinging  shadow  of  the  forgotten  or  un- 
known past,  and,  although  they  laugh  at  the  idea  as  being  rank  foolishness, 
they  will  feel  a  little  shiver  if  they  are  the  first  to  cross  the  track  of  a  funeral, 
or  they  will  stop  and  pick  up  a  pin  which  points  toward  them  on  the  sidewalk, 
not  because  they  need  it,  but  because — well,  just  because  they  want  to.  Civil- 
ized people  call  this  trait  an  eccentricity  in  themselves  and  superstition  in  the 
savage. 

Savages  the  world  over  are  steeped  in  superstitious  n^ths,  traditions  and  in 
folk-lore  which  is  peculiar  each  to  its  own  tribe,  or  clan,  but  through  it 
all  there  are  threads  which  connect  one  tribe  or  people  with  another,  though 
miles  of  distance  may  intervene. 

The  stories  vary  in  detail  and  in  the  telling,  but  the  main  points  are  identical, 
showing  conslusively  that  at  some  pre-historic  time  men  had  a  means  of  inter- 
communication without  telegraph,  ships  or  railroads,  and  that  a  myth  origin- 
ated by  the  medicine  men  or  prophets  of  one  tribe  or  nation  would  spread  far 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  tribe  which  first  practiced  it. 

There  are  today  two  remarkable  instances  of  this  fact,  both  semi-religious 
and  both  originating  with  the  medicine  men. 

The  first  is  the  ghost  dance,  made  vaguely  familiar  by  the  battle  of  Wounded 
Knee  some  years  ago  in  the  Dakota  Bad  L,and.  The  other  is  the  myth  of  the 
Thunderbird,  the  Skam-son  of  the  Haidas,  and  known  from  Cape  Flattery  to 
Wisconsin  by  various  tribal  names. 

The  object  of  this  chapter  is  to  show  the  remarkable  hold  which  a  mythical 
tale  can  get  on  the  savage  mind,  and  how  the  Ta-mahn-a-wis  sway  the  people 
of  their  tribe  by  their  dark  practices;  hence  the  myth  of  the  Thunderbird  as 
believed  in  by  them  from  the  coast  to  the  great  lakes. 

The  tale  involving  the  origin  of  this  strange  creature  has  already  been  given 
as  it  is  told  among  the  Twanas,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  each  tribe  has 
its  own  version  of  the  first  appearance  of  it  in  their  horizon,  as  all  Indians  believe 
in  a  multitude  of  spirits,  both  good  and  bad. 


58 


THE    SIWASH 


The  idea  of  a  Great  Spirit  as  is  generally  taken  by  whites  to  cover  the  Indian 
religion  is  erroneous,  as  every  mountain,  river,  lake  or  other  natural  object,  as 
well  as  natural  phenomenon,  is  accredited  with  being  the  home  of  some  partic- 
ular spirit;  in  fact,  the  old  Greek  mythology  is  a  good  comparison,  and  illus- 
trates the  idea  exactly. 

Hence  we  find  the  thunder  personified  by  an  immense  bird  with  some  tribes, 
and  with  others  as  half  bird,  half  man,  or  a  man  who  wears  a  bird's  skin,  but, 
all  agree  that  the  personage  is  of  collossal  proportions,  and  give  it  the  name  of 
Thunderbird. 

Surroundings  modify  the  form  and  features  of  this  mythical  being  to  a  great 
extent,  and  account  for  the  different  descriptions  of  it  given  by  different  tribes. 

The  Twanas  believe  it  to  be  an  immense  bird  which  lives  on  the  top  of  a 
high  mountain,  and  feeds  on  whales  which  it  kills  by  lightning.  It  is  here  in 
the  form  of  an  eagle,  with  quill  feathers  sixty  fathoms  long  in  each  wing. 

With  them  it  is  a  good  spirit,  harming 
no  one  unless  an  individual  has  dis- 
pleased it;  then  the  person  is  killed  by 
a  glance  from  its  eye,  which  is  the 
lightning.  They  believe  that  it  is  the 
god  of  rain,  and  also  that  the  image  of 
it  carved  on  their  implements  of  war  or 
the  chase  gives  the  owner  strength  in 
fighting  and  good  luck  in  hunting.  Thus 
it  is  a  hunter-warrior-rain  god.  Rev. 
Eells  reports  a  carving  of  the  Twana 
version  cut  in  a  basaltic  boulder  near 
Eniti,  Wash.,  which  the  Indians  say  is 
the  face  of  the  Thunderbird,  and  they  DAKOTA  DESIGNS  OF  SMALLER  THUNDERERS. 
believe  that  if  the  rock  is  shaken  or  removed  in  any  way  it  will  cause  rain. 

Among  the  Haidas  of  Queen  Charlotte  island  it  is  believed  to  be  an  immense 
creature,  half  man,  half  bird,  whose  body  is  the  mountains  to  the  sea,  shielded 
from  view  by  heavy  clouds,  the  main  difference  in  the  story  being  in  the  light- 
ning, which  is  here  personified  by  the  fish  instead  of  described  as  a  glance  of 
the  eye  of  the  bird  covered  with  feathers,  and  who  is  accompanied  by  the 
lightning  fish,  which  he  darts  at  the  whales  and  kills  them  for  food.  This 
lightning  fish  is  pictured  as  the  Killer  whale,  which  is  feared  by  the  Indians, 
as  it  attacks  them  sometimes  while  voyaging  about  in  their  canoes;  hence  they 
credit  it  as  a  companion  of  the  Thunderbird,  or  Skam-son,  as  they  call  it. 
As  with  the  Twanas,  the  thunder  is  caused  by  the  flapping  of  the  wings  as  the 
creature  flies  from  Skam-son.  This  is  easily  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the 
Haidas  are  a  sea-going  nation,  a  nation  of  fishermen,  who  gain  their  living  from 


SUPERSTITION    THEIR    RELIGION  59 

the  ocean;  hence  they  would  naturally  associate  a  fish  of  some  kind  with  any 
tradition  or  myth  where  it  could  be  used. 

They  tattoo  the  image  of  the  bird  on  their  bodies  as  a  clan  or  family  mark  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  do  the  otter,  halibut,  skate  and  other  designs,  to  sig- 
nify the  family  the  individual  belongs  to;  or,  as  one  remarked  to  Judge  Swan 
of  Port  Townsend:  "If  you  had  the  image  of  a  swan  tattooed  on  your  body 
the  Indians  would  know  your  family  name." 

The  figure  is  carved  on  their  totem  posts  and  canoe  stems  and  painted  on  the 
house  fronts,  and  various  implements  with  the  belief,  as  among  the  Twanas, 
that  it  gives  them  power,  courage  and  luck  in  hunting,  fishing  or  war.  A  mask 
representing  the  head  of  the  bird  is  worn  in  the  Ta-mahn-a-wis  dances  and  cere- 
monies, which  have  something  to  do  with  the  Thunderbird,  though  just  what 
this  is  has  never  been  clearly  ascertained,  as  the  Indians  will  not  allow  whites 
to  witness  these  Ta-mahn-a-wis  practices,  which  are  of  the  nature  of  a  secret 
society  among  civilized  people. 

The  Twanas  and  the  Clallams  also  use  a  mask  of  a  different  design  for  the 
same   purposes.       No    tribes    tattoo  the  figure   on 
their  person,  so  far  as  known,  outside  of  theHaidas. 

Leaving  the  coast  and  going  eastward  we  find 
the  Thunderbird  among  the  Sioux  of  Dakota  and 
Eastern  Montana  again,  this  time  being  personified 
in  an  immense  eagle,  with,  four  joints  to  the  wing 
and  which  dwells  in  a  lodge  on  the  top  of  a  high 
knoll  or  butte.  The  lodge  has  four  doors,  one  for 
each  cardinal  point  of  the  compass,  and  at  each 
door  there  is  a  guardian  spirit.  These  spirits  are  a 
beaver,  a  butterfly,  an  otter  and  one  other  animal 
not  clearly  defined,  whose  duty  it  is  to  guard  and 
act  as  messengers  for  the  Thunderbird.  OJIBWA  FI«YING  ™UNDEBBIBD 

As  with  the  Twanas,  the  lightning  is  a  glance  from  the  eye,  and  a  person 
who  has  a  presentment  that  the  Thunderbird  is  displeased  with  him  and  intends 
to  kill  him,  retires  to  a  high  hill  to  await  his  doom,  after  having  bid  his  friends 
farewell.  Sometimes,  owing  to  the  isolated  position  of  the  individual,  he  is  act- 
ually struck  by  lightning  during  some  of  the  heavy  thunder  storms  of  the 
region,  and  that  settles  the  myth  all  the  firmer  in  the  Indian  mind,  for  the 
Thunderbird  it  was  who  killed  him,  just  as  he  said  it  would. 

Here  the  myth  assumes  three  or  four,  or  rather  a  family  of  thunderers,  some 
good,  some  evil,  some  who  guard  the  destiny  of  the  warrior  and  strike  terror 
into  the  heart  of  the  enemy,  others  who  see  that  the  hunter  does  not  come  home 
empty  handed. 

Some  are  headless  and  have  wings,  some  are  wingless  but   provided  with 


60 


THE    SIWASH 


HAIDA     TATOOING  —  THUNDERBIBD 
HEAD. 


heads,  but  the  Thunderbird,  with  a  big  "T,"  who  is  the  rain  god  and  thunder 
creater  and  good  spirit-in-chief,  is  described  as  a  very  large  bird  which  flies  fast. 
This  bird  has  a  whole  brood  of  little  ones,  who  follow  behind  the  big  thunderer 
and  make  the  long  rumble  noticeable  in  the  prairie  thunder  peals.  The  old 
bird  is  wise  and  good,  harming  no  one,  and  causing  rain,  which  makes  the 
plants  grow,  but  the  young  ones  are  like  young  men,  very  mischievous,  and 
will  not  listen  to  counsel  and  are  continually 
doing  a  great  deal  of  damage,  and  killing  an  oc- 
casional person  purely  in  a  playful  way,  for  when 
they  grow  old,  they  settle  down  and  become  good 
spirits,  too.  Nothing  can  kill  or  destroy  the 
Thunderbird  but  an  immense  giant,  who  can 
stride  over  rivers  and  mountains  and  can  kill  any- 
thing by  a  look.  This  giant  still  exists,  but  no- 
body knows  where,  and  is  always  hunting  for  the 
thunderer,  who  has  to  fly  from  place  to  place  to 
keep  away  from  the  evil  giant,  thus  causing 
storms  by  flying  about.  The  old  bird  starts  with 
the  loud  crash  of  noise,  and  then  the  little  ones 
rise  in  a  swarm  and  make  a  lot  more  noise,  but 
not  so  loud  as  the  old  one,  which  flies  very  fast. 

The  giant  killed  one  of  the  old  ones  a  long,  long  time  ago,  back  of  Little 
Crow's  village,  near  the  head  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  the  medicine  men 
still  have  totems  made  of  the  feathers  and  bones,  and  they  are  very  strong  med- 
icine against  evil. 

This  bird  had  "a  face  like  a  man,  nose  like  an  eagle  bill,  body  long  and  slen- 
der and  four  joints  to  each  wing,  which  were  painted  zigzag  like  the  lightning, 
and  the  back  of  the  head  was  rough  and  red,  according  to  the  Dakota  tradi- 
tion. This  is  the  Sioux  story  of  the  Thunderbird.  Going  a  little  further  east 
we  find  the  Ojibwa,  who  live  in  Minnesota  and  around  the  shores  of  Lake  Su- 
perior with  a  myth  of  the  thunderer  which  makes  it  entirely  a  good  spirit,  a 
sort  of  servant  of  the  medicine  man,  shaman  or  priest,  and  who  helps  them  to 
work  cures,  find  good  medicine  plants,  and  many  other  things  which  have  a 
good  influence. 

With  the  Ojibwa  it  is  also  an  immense  eagle-like  bird  but  without  any  su- 
perfluity of  wing  joints.  The  thunder  is  the  noise  of  its  flying  and  it  causes 
rain  which  makes  medicine  plants  grow  and  also  it  can  apparently  find  a  medi- 
cine plant  to  fit  the  particular  disease  by  looking  on  the  earth,  in  the  sky  or  in 
the  inside  of  the  earth,  either  of  which  places  it  can  visit  at  will  under  the  in- 
structions of  the  medicine  man  or  shaman,  who  holds  a  controlling  power 
over  it. 


SUPERSTITION    THEIR    RELIGION  61 

There  is  no  record  of  any  masks  being  used  to  represent  the  thunderer, 
directly  east  of  the  coast  tribes,  the  only  representations  being  from  Indian 
drawings,  which  interpret  their  idea  and  which  are  represented  in  this  book. 

There  are  no  carvings  or  images  except  those  worked  in  beads,  from  near 
Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  which  represent  the  bird  with  the  red  breast  and 
tail,  and  having  somewhat  of  an  eagle  form- 

The  Ojibwa  figures  are  from  drawings  on  the  "  music  board  "  used  by  the 
Ojibwa  at  the  initiation  of  candidates  into  the  society  of  the  Mide-wiwin  or 
great  medicine,  and  are  really  notes  in  the  medicine  song  of  this  society, 
for  they  are  only  one  of  numerous  char- 
acters painted  in  rows  on  a  board  which 
are  translated  into  a  chant  by  the  Mide  men 
to  mean  some  particular  achievement  of 
the  Thunderbird  under  the  guidance  of  that 
society. 

This  Thunderbird  lives  somewhere  up  in 
the  sky  and  can  only  be  brought  to  the  earth 
by  the  Mide  or  shaman  priests,  who  are 
the  medicine  men  of  the  tribe,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Mide-wiwin  society,  and  then 
only  to  serve  some  good  end  in  the  making  OJIBWA  THUNDERER 

of  medicine. 

Thus  the  Thunderbird  of  the  Pacific  Coast  degenerates  into  a  servant  of  the 
Ojibwa  medicine  man,  or  else  the  servant  grows  to  the  proportion  of  a  God  as 
he  travels  West  according  to  which  version  is  taken  as  to  the  origin,  but  it  is 
likely  that  the  servant  grew  to  be  the  God,  as  all  tales  grow  in  the  telling, 
especially  among  an  ignorant  people  like  the  Indians. 

Most  of  these  myths  and  folk-lore  tales  have  their  origin  in  a  "dream  "  or 
trance  of  some  medicine  man  whose  word  is  taken  without  question  by  his  peo- 
ple because  he  is  really  a  religious  magician  or  prophet-doctor  who  is  credited 
with  many  supernatural  powers,  has  "visions  ''  and  foretells  events.  They  are 
clever  in  the  means  they  employ  to  bring  about  a  desired  end  and  thus  ' '  speak 
a  single,  straight  tongue  "  to  their  people  who  would  as  soon  cut  off  a  hand  as 
to  doubt  the  statements  of  the  Ta-mahn-a-wis  men.  With  this  kind  of  a 
power  wielded  over  them  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  simple-minded  Indian  peo- 
ples the  earth,  the  sea  and  the  air  with  all  kinds  of  demons  of  which  the  Thun- 
derbird is  but  one  example,  and  has  a  noise  for  every  Skal-lal-a-  toot,  and  a 
Skal-lal-a-toot  for  every  noise,  with  spirits  inhabiting  everything,  totems, 
fetiches  and  charms  for  and  against  a  thousand  and  one  things  which  he  does 
not  understand  and  credits  to  the  supernatural. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THEIR   DAILY   EXISTENCE 

The  illustrations  of  the  Puget  Sound  Indian  accompanying  are  very  charac- 
teristic of  the  race.  In  the  main  the  general  characteristics  are  .such  that  they 
cannot  be  mistaken.  The  infusion  of  white  and  foreign  blood  during  the  last 
30  years  or  so  has  had  a  marked  effect  upon  the  later  generation  and  to  a  great 
extent  changed  the  current  of  Indian  life.  Leaving  out  of  the  question  the 
general  features  of  color  and  vigorousness  of  form  they  are  readily  distin- 
guishable from  the  pure  bloods  about  them.  Half-breeds  more  readily  fall 
into  and  adopt  the  customs  and  practices  of  the  whites  and  to  a  considerable 
extent  are  not  averse  to  manual  labor.  Hence  they  are  found  in  the  mills  and 
forests  of  the  country  sharing  the  burdens  of  civilized  life. 

But  work  for  a  genuine  Siwash  is  no  more  palatable  than  it  is  to  a  Patago- 
nian.  He  sticks  to  his  "  canim  "  like  a  leech  to  the  epidermis.  Laziness  is  a 
cultivated  characteristic  of  the  old-time  Indian,  is  grafted  into  his  being  as  in- 
delibly as  the  tattooing  on  the  arm  of  an  East  India  man  and  he  will  never  work 
so  long  as  the  sands  on  his  native  beach  contain  a  live  clam  or  the  hills  above 
a  huckleberry  bush  from  which  his  klootchman  can  dig  a  bivalve  or  pick  a 
wicker  basket  of  blue  berries.  He  will  not  even  deign  to  assist  in  these  simple 
labors,  and  in  this  he  does  not  surpass  his  kinsman  who  are  reared  in  the  in- 
terior. These  are  the  drudgery  of  his  klootchman  and  night  or  day,  sun  or 
rain,  she  may  always  be  found  on  the  beach  rustling  up  the  next  meal.  He 
will  sometimes  accompany  her  and  when  there  are  two  baskets  to  "  tote  "  he 
may  even  consent  to  carry  one,  but  it  is  much  more  to  his  nature  to  trudge 
along  at  the  rear  empty  handed.  This  characteristic  is  more  apparent  in  the 
cities  when,  having  more  of  one  or  the  other  than  the  family  larder  requires 
for  the  time  being,  they  seek  the  towns  to  dispose  of  it  for  a  trifling  sum, 
which  is  to  be  expended  in  knick  knacks,  gew  gaws,  etc.,  etc.,  that  are  the 
fancy  of  the  Indian  mind. 

The  one  thing  only  which  the  old-time  Siwash  thinks  it  not  beneath  his  dig- 
nity to  indulge  in  is  fishing,  and  this  is  his  particular  special  privilege  which 
he  never  permits  any  interference  with.  True,  his  dame  has  the  privilege  of 
fishing  for  cod  and  dogfish  and  the  commoner  species,  but  the  taking  of  the 


THEIR    DAILY    EXISTENCE  65 

lordly  salmon  is  never  relegated  to  her.  If  he  is  one  of  the  old-time  Indians 
wrapped  still  in  the  superstitious  beliefs  of  his  ancestors,  not  only  is  she  not 
permitted  the  pleasure  of  the  chase  for  salmon,  but  she  is  never  permitted  to 
put  her  foot  inside  the  salmon  canim,  nor  is  she  ever  allowed  to  touch  the 
salmon  line  or  hook.  That  would  forever  spoil  either  canoe  or  line  from  use 
by  the  imperious  head  of  the  household.  These  practices,  while  still  in  vogue 
among  the  more  isolated  villages,  is  not  so  strictly  adhered  to  by  Indians  who 
almost  daily  come  in  contact  with  the  whites,  nor  are  these  remnants  of  a  su- 
perstitious race  very  widely  known  among  their  enlightened  and  civilized 
neighbors.  A  trip  to  any  of  the  favorite  fishing  grounds  about  the  Sound  and 
a  study  of  the  life  of  the  village  will  convince  any  one  that  were  they  suddenly 
removed  from  all  influence  of  civilized  life,  the  Indian  of  today  is  just  as  he 
was  when  the  first  white  man's  boat  ploughed  the  gentle  waters  of  the  Sound. 
The  thoroughbred  Siwash  will  not  even  countenance  the  pretty  gearing  of  the 
modern  fisherman,  but  clings  tenaciously  to  those  articles  fashioned  by  his  own 
hand.  He,  however,  will  use  the  spoon  in  trolling,  but  it  is  one  he  has  made 
himself  from  the  metal  and  polished  in  his  own  way,  swung  from  a  bit  of  wire 
crooked  and  fashioned  in  his  own  odd  fashion.  His  is  an  invention  unpro- 
tected, yet  he  will  never  trouble  himself  about  letters  patent,  for  no  white  man 
can  ever  imitate  his  work  successfully.  There  is  something  about  it  that  seems 
to  have  a  most  unusual  attraction  for  the  finest  and  best,  for  a  Siwash  is  sel- 
dom met  with  winter  or  summer,  on  a  fishing  expedition  without  one  or  more 
of  the  best  fish  the  water  contains. 

They  know  just  the  hour,  just  the  spot  and  place  when  and  where  to  fish 
and  seldom  are  seen  trolling  any  other  time.  Trout  a  Siwash  has  no  love  for 
and  never  attempts  to  take.  He  may  have  his  camp  on  a  stream  alive  with 
the  finest  of  the  trout  species,  but  he  never  molests  them.  A  polluted  dog  sal- 
mon lying  dead  upon  the  sand  bank  is  more  preferable  in  his  eyes  and  he  will 
pick  up  one  and  walk  away  with  the  same  grim  satisfaction  that  he  will  after 
having  speared  or  hooked  a  monster  silver  side,  the  king  of  the  genus. 

The  klootchman  is  no  less  characteristic  in  appearance  and  features  than  the 
Siwash  himself.  They  are  decrepit  in  looks,  bowed  in  form  from  the  constant 
life-long  use  of  the  canim,  prematurely  old  and  unsociable  as  a  black  bear. 
There  is  if  possible  more  superstition,  more  mystery  to  the  klootchman  than  to 
her  lordly  partner.  She  never  talks  to  the  whites  unless  it  is  to  offer  for  sale 
the  fruit  from  the  forest,  the  catch  from  the  salt  water  or  when  around  on  beg- 
ging expeditions,  and  of  the  latter  there  is  little.  The  Siwash  will  stoop  to 
outright  begging,  especially  if  he  is  a  chief  or  has  become  debauched  by  asso- 
ciates with  evil-minded  whites,  but  his  wife  scarcely  ever. 

Labelle  klootchman  is  both  the  pride  of  the  family  and  the  belle  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  on  her  is  lavished  all  the  fashion  and  vermillion  of  the  sweet  society 


66  THE    SIWASH 

of  the  natives.  She  dotes  on  loud  colors  and  is  noticeably  proud  of  whatever 
she  wears  as  long  as  it  is  bright  and  showy.  She  ages,  however,  like  an  au- 
tumn leaf  and  once  past  sweet  sixteen  she  is  relegated  to  the  shades  of  ugliness 
and  forgotten.  Of  all  things,  Indian,  the  hardest  to  determine  would  be  the 
age  of  the  pure  blood  Siwash  or  klootchman.  They  may  be  about  30  or  may 
be  75,  they  all  look  alike  after  reaching  the  usual  majority  in  years. 

Outside  the  supplying  of  daily  wants  the  only  other  task  of  the  pure-blood 
Siwash  is  the  building  of  his  cedar  canoes.  Seldom  is  it  that  the  whites  get 
an  opportunity  of  seeing  this  work  in  progress.  It  is  most  always  done  on  or 
near  the  beach  in  out-of-the-way  places  and  the  old-fashioned  Indian-made 
hand  adz  is  as  religiously  adhered  to  as  it  ever  was.  The  interior  of  the  cedar 
log  was  originally  cleared  by  burning,  but  occasionally  they  will  now  conde- 
scend to  the  use  of  a  heavier  instrument  secured  from  the  whites  to  get  rid  of 
the  core.  In  trimming  down,  fashioning  and  finishing  up  the  canoe  the  little 
bit  of  sharpened  steel  is,  however,  always  used. 

Early  Indians,  and  for  that  matter  all  of  the  present  day,  entertained  a  right- 
eous dread  of  photography.  Electricity,  the  galvanic  battery  and  the  telegraph 
wires  were  things  as  dreadful  to  them  as  their  imaginary  Skal-lal-la-toot,  that 
ranged  the  woods  about  their  villages.  They  believe  that  these  things  are 
spirits  of  some  kind  that  have  been  through  the  influence  of  the  white  man's 
Ta-mahn-a-wis  or  big  medicines  enslaved  to  the  fellow  who  happens  to  possess 
the  electrical  appliance. 

When  the  old  trader,  William  Deshaw,  who  has  been  frequently  mentioned 
in  connection  with  Port  Madison  Indians,  first  came  to  Agate  pass  to  look  after 
the  Indians  there  he  took  with  him  an  old-fashioned  galvanic  battery.  This 
mysterious  instrument  probably  invested  him,  in  the  eyes  of  the  simple  sav- 
ages, who  had  never  before  heard  of  such  things,  with  greater  power  than  any- 
thing else  he  could  possibly  have  taken  among  them.  It  promoted  him  at 
once  to  the  position  of  a  great  white  Ta-mahn-a-wis,  whose  influence  was  never 
afterwards  disputed.  Soon  after  his  appearance  there  and  acquaintance  with 
the  Old-Man-House  tribes  the  construction  of  the  old  Puget  Sound  Telegraph  & 
Cable  company's  line  was  carried  past  their  village  and  it  became  a  thing  of 
dreadful  consequence  to  the  Indians.  They  avoided  it  and  feared  it  as  they 
did  the  "  evil  eye."  It  was  quite  an  impossible  thing  to  ever  get  an  Indian  to 
lend  a  hand  at  replacing  the  wires  in  position  when  they  happened  to  become 
broken  down  during  the  winter  storms.  Touch  an  electric  wire  ?  They  would 
sooner  have  suffered  the  loss  of  a  hand  under  a  chopping  block. 

The  old  trader  tells  of  many  amusing  spectacles  with  the  use  of  the  old  gal- 
vanic battery  on  some  of  the  Indians.  As  before  stated  the  practices  of  their 
severe  superstitious  rites  often  caused  many  of  the  Ta-mahn-a-wis  men  to  fall 
into  trance-like  and  comatose  conditions,  from  which  it  was  impossible,  by  any 


THEIR    DAILY    EXISTENCE  67 

known  Indian  agency  to  arouse  them.  The  old  trader  tells  of  one  that  oc- 
curred at  Old-Man-House  in  which  the  efficacy  of  the  old  galvanic  battery  was 
proved  to  the  Indians  satisfaction  with  a  vengeance.  One  of  these  old  medi- 
cine men  had  after  several  days  of  unusual  exertion  and  privation  fallen  into  a 
comatose  condition.  Every  art  known  to  the  other's  Ta-mahn-a-wis  had  been 
exerted  to  no  purpose  and  as  a  last  resort  the  Indians  had  sent  for  the  white 
Ta-mahn-a-wis  living  across  the  narrow  pass.  "So  he's  dead,  is  he?"  in- 
quired the  trader  of  the  Indians  who  went  after  him. 

"  Yes,  he's  dead.  Indian  Ta-mahn-a-wis  no  good  for  him,"  returned  the 
couriers. 

"  Umph  !  yes,  well  white  man's  Ta-mahn-a-wis  fetch  him,"  said  the  trader 
and  he  went  after  the  old  battery.  Going  across  he  found  the  Indian  lying  on 
the  floor  of  a  hut  upon  the  inevitable  rush  mat  and  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
dead  as  a  mackerel,  with  a  howling,  prancing  mob  of  his  brethern  about  him. 

The  trader  felt  of  him,  but  he  was  cold  and  bloodless  without  apparent  pulse 
or  life.  He  cleared  a  space  about  him  and  arranged  his  battery.  The  Indians 
becoming  subdued  watched  the  process  with  incredulity  and  stoical  silence. 
The  poles  of  the  instrument  were  placed  so  that  the  full  effect  of  the  electric 
current  would  be  most  keenly  felt,  and  then  the  operator  turned  it  on  with  force 
enough  to  have  broken  up  the  nerve  system  of  a  dozen  ordinary  men.  With 
a  bound  and  a  shriek  the  prostrate  form  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant  and  so 
sudden  was  the  transformation  that  half  the  onlookers  were  knocked  down  by 
the  terrified  and  quickened  medicine  man  by  his  wild  leap  into  the  air.  He 
bolted  for  the  door  and  took  for  the  woods  amidst  the  greatest  consternation  of 
his  mourning  friends.  He  did  not  return  for  some  days,  but  the  evil  spirit  that 
had  been  supposed  to  have  taken  possession  of  him  was  effectually  squelched. 
After  that  there  was  no  more  incredulous  smiles  and  looks  when  the  galvanic 
battery  was  around. 

This  trader,  who  knew  Seattle's  famous  old  chief  almost  as  a  brother,  says 
they  had  a  great  time  trying  to  secure  a  photograph  of  him  in  the  early  days. 
There  was  but  one  small  photograph  gallery  in  Seattle  at  that  time.  Many 
days  and  weeks  passed  before  the  old  settler  could  induce  the  chief  even  to  go 
near  the  place.  By  degrees  they  got  him  in  the  building,  but  when  he  would 
see  the  muzzle  of  the  camera  pointed  at  him,  he  would  invariably  break  away. 
One  day  the  settlers  went  all  the  way  to  Fort  Steilacoom  and  bought  a  new  suit 
of  soldiers  clothes  for  him  to  be  photographed  in.  The  old  chief  was  greatly 
pleased  at  such  a  compliment,  but  when  he  found  there  was  to  be  a  string  to 
the  proposition,  a  consideration  in  the  way  of  submitting  to  be  photographed, 
the  settlers  could  do  nothing  further  with  him.  In  the  language  of  the  old 
trader,  "That  put  a  squibosh  on  the  whole  business." 


68 


THE    SIWASH 


At  the  next  attempt  to  get  the  old  fellow  photographed  somebody  got  him 
to  "swilling  "  a  little  and  managed  to  get  the  old  fellow  into  the  gallery.  He 
was  too  much  under  the  influence  of  the  liquid  to  know  what  was  being  done, 
and  the  photographer  got  a  shot  at  him.  When  the  old  chief  came  to  his 
senses  he  was  dreadfully  outraged  in  feeling  and  said  that  he  "  didn't  want  any 
more  shots  at  him."  After  that  when  looking  through  a  picture  book  the  old 
chief  was  very  careful.  The  Indian's  superstition  led  him  to  believe  that  men 
in  a  picture  took  the  evil  genius  of  the  photograph,  or  the  electric  wire  lurked 
to  pounce  out  and  enslave  him. 


SYMBOLIC  DRAWING — Northern  Indians 


CHAPTER  XV 

OF  THE   FIRST   FROG 


It  may  be  interesting,  and  at  this  time  something  of  a  relief  from  the  duller 
monotony  of  the  pages  preceeding,  to  give  one  of  the  characteristic  legends 
which  were  current  among  the  Indians  when  first  the  whites  came  among  them. 
This  may  properly  be  termed  the  Siwash  legend  of  the  first  frog,  and  gives  the 
sad  fate  that  befell  a  too  ardent  Indian  lover. 

"  Many,  many  snows  ago  the  Great  Tyee  of  all  lived  upon  the  earth;  the 
snows  that  have  come  and  gone  since  then  cannot  well  be  counted  by  men. 
The  Great  Tyee  was  not  only  chief  over  man,  but  also  over  the  birds,  the  fish 
and  all  the  animals  in  the  woods.  All  feared  him  and  did  his  bidding. 

"  The  Great  Tyee  had  been  very  successful  in  his  wars,  and  had  subjugated 
all  the  chiefs  but  Clack-a-mas,  a  warrior  who  had  long  and  well  fought  against 
the  Great  Tyee.  At  last  both,  growing  tired  of  war,  resolved  to  smoke  the 
great  peace  pipe  and  bury  the  hatchet,  and  to  more  firmly  cement  their  growing 
friendship  the  Great  Tyee  asked  for  and  obtained  the  consent  of  Clack-a-mas  to 
the  marriage  of  his  daughter  Kla-Kla-Klack-Hah  (the  woman  who  talks)  to 
Wah-Wah-Hoo,  the  Tyee's  only  son.  But  the  Great  Tyee's  plans  for  the  mar- 
riage of  his  son  were  destined  to  be  nipped  in  the  bud.  Wah-Wah-Hoo  had 
long  and  ardently  loved  a  maiden  of  his  own  tribe,  a  daughter  of  one  of  the 
lesser  chiefs.  Hah-Hah  had  all  those  graces  which  go  to  make  a  woman 
charming,  and  she  was  as  deeply  in  love  with  Wah-Wah-Hoo  as  he  with  her. 

'  '  It  is  easier  to  imagine  than  to  depict  the  griet  of  the  lovers  when  they 
learned  the  will  of  the  Great  Tyee.  To  Wah-Wah-Hoo  it  seemed  that  nothing 
was  left  him  to  do  but  to  prepare  for  the  wedding,  which  was  to  take  place 
immediately.  It  had  not  as  yet  occurred  to  him  to  disobey  the  Great  Tyee. 
Such  a  path  was  fraught  with  too  much  danger  to  be  taken  at  once,  and  for  the 
present  no  ray  of  hope  penetrated  through  the  dark  cloud  that  had  settled  down 
and  quenched  the  bright  light  of  his  and  Hah-Hah's  happiness. 

"  Daily  the  preparations  for  the  marriage  went  on,  and  as  the  day  of  its  con- 
summation drew  nearer  Wah-Wah-Hoo  became  more  and  more  reluctant  to 
carry  out  the  command  of  the  Great  Tyee.  On  the  day  before  the  wedding 
Hah-Hah,  robed  in  her  brightest  skins,  went  to  keep  the  last  tryst  with  her 
recreant  lover.  They  met  in  a  grassy  dell,  sprinkled  over  with  brightest  wild 
flowers;  but  to  the  infatuated  lover  Hah-Hah  was  the  loveliest  flower  of  them 
all.  L,ove  stole  away  his  reason,  and,  forgetful  of  his  duty  to  the  Great  Tyee, 
his  father,  Wah-Wah-Hoo  gathered  Hah-Hah  up  in  his  arms  and  hurried  away 
into  the  forest.  They  journeyed  many  suns  into  the  somber  woods  and  finally 


70  THE    SIWASH 

built  themselves  a  shelter  on  the  bank  of  a  great  river,  where,  forgetful  of  the 
wrath  of  the  Great  Tyee,  they  were  happy. 

"The  wedding  day  dawned.  Kla-Kla-Klack-Hah,  robed  in  her  best  skins, 
stood  waiting  the  coming  of  Wah-Wah-Hoo  to  claim  and  to  carry  off  his  bride. 
The  minutes  swiftly  multiplied  into  hours  until  Clack-a-mas,  deeply  chagrined 
at  the  disdainful  treatment  of  his  daughter,  sought  an  explanation  of  the  Great 
Tyee.  A  search  was  immediately  instituted  for  Wah-Wah-Hoo,  and  then,  and 
not  until  then,  was  the  flight  of  the  lovers  discovered. 

"At  once  the  Great  Tyee  ordered  his  swiftest  runners  and  his  best  trailers  to 
follow  and  to  bring  back  his  disobedient  son.  Swiftly  they  ran  through  the 
woods,  searching  long  and  far,  but  baffled  at  last,  they  were  compelled  to  re- 
turn to  the  Great  Tyee  with  the  story  of  their  failure. 

"Then  the  Great  Tyee  went  out,  and,  seated  upon  the  river  bank,  called 
about  him  the  chiefs  of  all  the  animals  in  the  woods  and  of  the  fishes  in  the  sea 
and  commanded  them  as  they  feared  his  anger  to  search  for  and  to  find  his  son. 
They,  dreading  his  power,  immediately  set  out  upon  their  quest. 

"The  snake,  squirming  his  way  in  and  out  among  the  berry  patches,  searched 
long  and  arduously  for  the  lovers.  The  chief  of  the  mosquitos,  calling  about 
him  his  band,  who  number  more  than  the  grains  of  sand  on  the  sea  shore, 
searched  for  and  found  the  lovers;  but  the  chief,  remembering  that  when,  in  an 
inadvertent  and  hungry  moment  he  had  alighted  upon  Hah-Hah's  cheek  she 
had  spared  his  life,  ordered  his  band  to  disperse  and  to  say  nothing  of  the  lovers. 
The  squirrel,  running  up  and  down  the  trees  hoarding  his  winter  stores,  kept 
watch  that  the  lovers  did  not  go  by  him  unseen.  The  eagle,  in  ever-increasing 
circles,  soared  high  above  the  land  and  kept  a  watchful  eye  that  the  lovers  did 
not  escape  him.  The  chief  of  the  wolves  found  them,  but,  remembering  that 
Wah-Wah-Hoo  had  saved  his  life  when  caught  in  a  trap,  he,  too,  commanded 
his  followers  to  say  nothing  of  the  lovers. 

"Soon  the  chilling  blasts  of  winter  went  whistling  through  the  woods,  and 
the  ice  king,  seizing  the  earth  in  his  stifling  grasp,  wrapped  it  in  a  mantle  of 
snow.  Hunger — grim,  gaunt,  unrelenting  hunger-— entered  Wah-Wah-Hoo's 
wigwam,  and  stole  from  him  that  which  he  loved  best  of  all,  Hah-Hah.  Wah- 
Wah-Hoo,  looking  for  the  last  time  upon  his  sweetheart,  turned  away  and 
hurried  to  the  big  rock  overlooking  the  swirling  water  of  the  river.  There, 
singing  his  death  song,  he  flung  himself  into  the  water.  But  Wah-Wah-Hoo 
was  destined  not  to  die.  The  chief  of  the  fishes  swallowed  him,  and,  swimming 
to  the  spot  where  the  Great  Tyee  was  standing,  spewed  him  forth  upon  the 
bank. 

"The  Great  Tyee  cursed  his  son  and  changed  him  into  a  frog,  whose  dismal 
croaking  is  now  heard,  telling  his  sad  story  to  the  sons  of  man  and  warning 
them  to  be  obedient. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XVI 


ANOTHER   MAN    IN   THE   MOON 

The  man  in  the  moon,  among  some  of  the  tribes,  has  a  very  pretty  story  re- 
served for  him,  which  like  the  young  brave  who  was  turned  into  a  croaking 
frog  was  placed  in  the  moon  for  his  too  ardent  love  for  a  dusky  maiden.  The 
legend  more  properly  belongs  to  the  Vancouver  island  tribes.  The  following 
version  was  told  by  an  Indian  who  is  thought  to  be  over  100  years  old  and  it  is 
faithfully  believed  in  by  himself  and  his  tribe  : 

"  '  Many,  many  snows  ago,  long  before  a  white  man  came  to  this  country, 
there  lived  in  a  village  on  Quatsino  sound  the  Great  Tyee  of  all.  He  was  not 
only  tyee  over  men,  but  also  over  the  animals,  birds  and  fishes.  His  smile  was 
like  the  sun  coming  from  behind  the  cloud,  his  frown  like  the  lightning,  quick 
and  awful,  no  man  could  stand  before  it  and  live. 

"  '  Wah-nah-ho,  the  Great  Tyee's  son,  was  just  the  opposite  from  his  father, 
sunny  tempered,  and  loved  by  every  one.  The  animals  and  birds  in  the  forest, 
the  fishes  in  the  sea,  all  loved  and  did  his  bidding.  Now,  Wah-nah-ho  was 
unhapppy.  He  loved  Turn-Turn,  the  fairest  maiden  in  all  the  land,  and  the 
Great  Tyee  had  commanded  him  to  marry  Shingoopoot's  daughter,  who  was 
ugly,  ill-tempered,  and  who  had  already  had  one  husband.  Now,  Wah-nah-ho, 
who  in  all  things  else  had  been  a  most  obedient  son,  rebelled  against  his  father, 
and  with  Turn-Turn  at  night  when  all  the  village  was  asleep,  stole  away,  and 
running  swiftly,  hid  themselves  in  the  forest. 

' '  '  The  Great  Tyee,  when  he  discovered  the  flight  of  the  lovers,  was  very 
wroth,  and  swore  that  he  would  not  show  himself  to  his  people  until  the 
couple  were  found  and  brought  before  him.  All  the  young  men  of  the  tribe 
immediately  plunged  into  the  forest  and  hurried  away  to  look  for  the  lovers. 
They  searched  long  and  at  a  great  distance,  but  unsuccessfully,  and  one  by  one 
returned  to  the  village.  Then  the  Great  Tyee  ordered  all  the  animals  and 
birds  out  of  the  forest,  and  all  the  fishes  out  of  the  rivers  determined  that  hun- 
ger should  compel  his  disobedient  son  to  return. 

"  '  Finally,  as  day  after  day,  he  set  his  unsuccessful  snares  in  the  woods  and 
searched  the  streams  for  food,  Wah-nah-ho  was  at  last  driven  to  return  to  the 
village.  He  sought  his  father  with  his  sweetheart,  and  on  his  knees  told  him 
of  his  love  for  Turn-Turn,  and  begged  for  forgiveness.  The  Great  Tyee's 
wrath  broke  forth  at  the  sight  of  his  son,  and  he  placed  him  in  the  sky  with  his 
sweetheart,  where  they  now  dwell,  telling  the  sons  and  daughters  of  man  to  be 
obedient'  " 


CHAPTER  XVII 

S'BEOW   AND   HIS   GRANDMOTHER 

The  wonders  of  the  course  of  nature  have  ever  challenged  human  attention. 
In  savagery,  in  barbarism,  and  in  civilization  alike,  the  mind  of  man  has 
sought  the  explanation  of  things.  Th  e  Indians  around  Puget  Sound  have  not 
been  less  curious  than  the  other  races.  Like  the  rest,  they  have  a  strong 
yearning  to  understand  the  causes  of  all  natural  phenomena,  such  as  the  move- 
ment of  the  heavenly  bodies,  the  change  of  the  seasons,  the  succession  of  the 
night  and  day,  the  powers  of  air  and  water,  the  growth  of  trees,  the  overflow- 
ing of  rivers,  the  curious  forms  of  storm-carved  rocks,  the  mysteries  of  life  and 
death,  the  origin  of  the  institutions  of  society  all  demand  explanation.  While 
the  desire  of  the  savage  to  know  is  as  strong  as  it  is  with  the  civilized  man, 
his  curiosity  is  much  more  easily  satisfied.  The  sense  of  the  savage  is  dull 
compared  with  that  of  the  civilized  man;  some  people  think  that  the  barbarian 
has  highly  developed  perceptive  faculties.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from  the 
truth.  For  he  sees  few  sights,  hears  few  sounds,  tastes  of  but  few  flavors, 
smells  of  but  few  odors,  so  by  reason  of  the  extreme  narrowness  of  his  exper- 
iences his  whole  sensible  organization  is  coarse  and  blunt  and  his  powers  of 
penetration  are  limited.  He  experiences  some  things  difficult  to  account  for 
with  his  crude  understanding.  But  he  attempts  to  explain  it  nevertheless.  To 
his  understanding  supernatural  power  is  necessary  to  the  performance  of  the 
acts  which  he  describes,  so  he  invents  a  story  which  explains  the  phenomena  to 
his  satisfaction.  He  repeats  it  to  others  and  in  their  hands  it  grows  and 
changes,  becoming  more  refined  and  reasonable  as  the  race  advances.  Thus 
are  the  mythologies,  the  philosophies,  the  religions,  and  the  explanations  of 
natural  phenomena  of  the  savage  man  evolved;  and  just  in  proportion  as  he 
advances  in  the  scale  of  civilization  the  less  he  believes  in  these  old  traditions; 
the  more  difficult  the  phenomena  of  nature  for  him  to  explain,  the  more  skep- 
tical he  becomes;  in  short,  the  more  he  knows,  the  less  he  thinks  he  knows. 

Their  folklore  explains  all  of  the  phenomena  of  nature  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  savage,  however  foolish  and  simple  it  may  seem  to  us. 

Our  Indians  have  not  advanced  far  enough  yet  for  their  myths  to  contain 
any  of  those  lofty  ideals  and  refined  sentiments  which  crept  into  the  poetic 
legends  of  Greece,  neither  have  they  any  conception  of  infinite  power.  But 
nevertheless  the  performances  of  their  Demi-gods,  with  that  queer  mixture  of 
power  and  weakness,  and  our  "  stick-siwashes  "  bear  a  striking  resemblance. 
The  myths  of  the  origin  of  the  world  and  of  man,  the  fire-stealing,  the  roman- 
tic adventures  of  gods  and  heroes,  and  of  the  sun  and  moon,  have  much  in 
common,  one  with  the  other. 


AND    HIS    GRANDMOTHER  73 

The  most  remarkable  character  in  lore  of  the  Puget  Sound  Indian  was  old 
S'Beow.  As  the  stories  go,  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  originally  an  Arctic 
or  white  fox;  but  changed  himself  into  a  man.  Ki-ki,  or  the  bluejay,  was  his 
grandmother.  He  had  great  power  over  his  enemies  although  he  was  often 
misled  and  even  killed  by  them.  He  could  change  himself  into  the  form  of 
any  animal  or  thing  he  wished  to;  could  cut  himself  to  pieces  and  put  himself 
together  again,  and  do  many  other  wonderful  things.  He  is  described  as  hav- 
ing cut  himself  in  pieces  and  poking  the  pieces  out  through  a  small  hole  in 
an  ice  house  in  which  he  had  been  imprisoned  and  securing  his  liberty.  There 
is  also  a  story  of  S'Beow  playing  ball  with  his  own  eyes. 

Kldridge  Morse,  who  has  atudied  these  legends  systematically  describes  the 
Indians'  conception  of  S'Beow  as  follows:  He  was  a  very  short,  pussy,  big- 
bellied  man  who  looked  a  little  like  Santa  Claus,  with  a  long,  heavy  white 
beard  reaching  to  his  waist;  short  white  hair,  sharp  black  eyes,  sharp  pointed 
ears  like  those  of  an  Arctic  fox,  and  small  hands  and  feet.  From  either  side 
of  his  mouth  protruded  an  ugly  cougar's  tusk.  He  wore  a  short  coat  of  mount- 
ain goat's  wool  and  had  four  live  bluejays  for  buttons. 

An  old  Indian  up  on  the  Stillaguamish  river  believes  that  his  father  saw 
S'Beow  once.  He  relates  the  experience  as  follows:  At  the  southern  point  of 
Camano  island  there  is  an  old  land  slide. 

Many  years  ago  there  was  a  band  of  Indians  camped  at  that  point  on  the 
beach.  His  father  and  family  were  in  a  canoe  paddling  toward  the  camp.  It 
was  just  dusk  and  the  ruby  rays  of  a  summer  sun-set  had  not  yet  disappeared. 
As  if  by  magic  or  ta-mahn-a-wis,  a  man  stood  out  on  the  bluff  above  them. 
He  swelled  himself  up  and  again  he  swelled  himself  up  until  he  was  recog- 
nized as  the  form  of  old  S'Beow,  standing  there  as  tall  as  the  big  fir  trees. 
Presently  S'Beow  kicked  the  bluff  over  onto  the  Indians  camped  on  the  beach 
and  buried  them  all,  then  stepped  across  onto  Hat  island  and  disappeared. 

Indians  riding  by  the  spot  mourn  and  wail  and  cry  for  them  to  this  day. 
This  fact  together  with  the  existence  of  the  old  slide  at  that  place  proves  the 
truth  of  the  whole  story  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  savage. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  gather  legends  from  the  Puget  Sound  Indians,  however. 
Rev.  Myron  Kels,  the  venerable  missionary  of  the  Skokomish  reservation, 
Judge  James  G.  Swan  of  Port  Townsend,  and  Eldridge  Morse,  of  Snohomish, 
have  met  with  some  siiccess.  The  latter  gentleman  is  the  only  one  who  has 
gathered  them  systematically  and  he  has  published  nothing. 

The  Indians  manifest  much  embarrassment  when  approached  by  a  collector 
of  traditions  until  they  learn  that  he  is  already  familiar  with  them,  then  his 
sailing  is  clear  if  he  does  not  make  fun  of  them.  After  all  the  investigator  is 
not  sure  at  the  present  day  how  much  of  the  story  is  an  Indian  tradition  and 
how  much  of  it  has  been  mixed  with  a  story  that  some  missionary  has  told. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   DEMON  SKANA 

The  Makahs  of  Cape  Flattery  tell  many  stories  of  animals  quite  allegorical  in 
their  nature,  which  differ  in  details  only  from  the  legends  of  the  other  West 
coast  tribes.  One  of  their  leading  characters  is  the  demon  Skana.  According 
to  the  Indian  belief  he  can  change  himself  into  any  form.  There  are  many 
stories  told  of  him.  A  long  time  ago  the  Indians  were  seal  hunting  in  calm 
weather  on  a  smooth  sea.  A  killer  whale  kept  close  to  the  canoe,  and  the 
Indians  amused  themselves  by  throwing  stones  from  their  canoe  ballast  at  him. 
The  creature,  tiring  of  this  treatment,  made  for  the  shore,  where  it  grounded 
on  the  beach.  The  curious  Indians  were  attracted  by  a  smoke  which  they  saw 
curling  up  from  the  beach,  and  put  for  shore  that  they  might  learn  its  cause. 
Upon  reaching  the  shore  they  were  much  surprised  to  find  a  large  canoe,  instead 
of  Skana,  on  the  beach,  and  that  a  man  was  on  shore  cooking  some  food  by  an 
out-door  fire.  He  asked  them  why  they  threw  stones  at  his  canoe.  ' '  You 
have  broken  it,  "  said  he;  "now  go  into  the  woods  and  get  some  cedar  to  mend 
it  with." 

After  they  had  complied  with  his  request  he  said  to  them:  "Turn  your 
backs  to  the  water  and  cover  your  heads  with  your  skin  blankets,  and  don't 
look  till  I  call  you."  They  obeyed,  and  heard  the  canoe  grate  on  the  beach  as 
it  was  being  hauled  into  the  surf.  Then  the  man  exclaimed:  "Look  now!" 
They  looked  and  saw  the  canoe  just  going  over  the  first  breaker,  the  man  sitting 
in  the  stern.  They  looked  again  and  the  canoe  came  up  outside  of  the  second 
breaker  a  killer,  and  not  a  canoe,  with  the  man,  or  demon,  in  its  belly.  Ac- 
cording to  James  G.  Swain  this  allegory  is  common  to  all  the  tribes  of  the 
Northwest  coast,  and  even  in  the  interior  where  the  salmon  takes  the  place  of 
the  ocra,  which  never  ascends  fresh  water  rivers.  To  the  north  the  Chilkat  and 
other  tribes  carve  the  figure  of  a  salmon,  inside  of  which  is  the  full  length  figure 
of  a  nude  Indian. 

A  casual  observer  might  mistake  this  for  another  Jonah  story  taught  the 
Indians  by  the  missionaries,  but  it  is  said  to  too  far  antedate  their  arrival. 

James  G.  Swan  tells  the  story  of  one  legend  of  the  man  in  the  moon,  which  is 
common  to  the  West  coast  Indians,  and  quite  interesting. 

The  moon  discovered  a  man  about  to  dip  his  bucket  into  a  brook  after  some 
water,  so  it  sent  down  its  arms,  or  rays,  and  grabbed  the  man,  who,  to  save 
himself,  seized  hold  of  a  big  salal  bush,  but  the  moon  being  more  powerful  took 
the  man,  bucket  and  bush  up  to  himself,  where  they  have  ever  since  lived,  and 
can  be  seen  every  full  moon  during  clear  weather.  The  man  is  a  friend  of  the 
wind  god,  and  at  the  proper  signal  empties  his  bucket,  causing  it  to  rain  on  the 
earth. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   FALL  OF  SNOQUALM 

Not  far  from  the  Snoqualmie  hop  ranch,  on  the  Snoqualmie  prairie,  is  a  large 
mountain  called  Old  Si,  with  what  seems  to  be  the  image  of  a  human  form  on 
the  face  of  it.  The  story  of  its  origin  as  told  by  the  old  Snoqualmie  Indians, 
is  one  of  the  best  legends  that  the  Puget  Sound  Indians  possess. 

Snoqualm,  the  moon,  then  the  king  of  the  heavens,  commanded  the  spider 
ty-ee  (chief)  to  make  a  rope  of  cedar  bark  and  stretch  it  from  the  sky  to  the 
earth.  Upon  seeing  this,  S'Beow's  son,  Si  'Beow,  told  Ki-ki,  the  bluejay, 
S'Beow's  grandmother,  to  go  up  along  the  rope  and  then  told  his  father  to  fol- 
low her. 

The  bluejay  kept  going  up  and  going  up  and  going  up  and  S'Beow  follow- 
ing after  her,  kept  climbing  up  and  climbing  up  and  climbing  up  and  the  blue- 
jay  kept  flying  up  and  flying  up  and  flying  up  a  long  time  until  she  reached 
the  under  side  of  the  sky,  and  S'Beow  kept  climbing  up  and  climbing  a-lo-ong 
time  until  he  too  got  to  where  the  great  rope  was  fastened  on  the  under  side  of 
the  sky.  And  the  bluejay  began  pecking  away  and  she  continued  picking 
away  and  picking  away  and  picking  away  until  she  made  a  hole  through  into 
the  sky.  It  was  well  into  the  night  when  Ki-ki  finished  making  her  hole 
through  and  S'Beow  followed  after  her  into  the  sky.  When  S'Beow  got 
through  the  hole  he  found  himself  in  a  lake.  He  changed  himself  into  a 
beaver  and  got  caught  in  a  dead-fall  beaver  trap,  which  had  been  set  by  Sno- 
qualm and  when  Snoqualm  examined  his  trap  in  the  morning  he  found  a  dead 
beaver  with  his  skull  crushed  in.  The  Great  Ty-ee  took  the  beaver  out  of  the 
trap,  took  the  beaver  to  his  home,  skinned  it,  stretched  the  skin  upon  a  hoop, 
hung  it  up  to  dry  and  threw  the  carcass  over  in  the  corner  of  his  smoke  house. 
All  day  long  and  well  into  the  night  S'Beow  lay  there,  a  dead  beaver's  carcass. 
At  last  Snoqualm  fell  into  deep  sleep  and  was  heard  snoring  loudly.  Then 
S'Beow  got  up,  took  his  skin  from  the  wall,  removed  it  from  the  hoop  and  put 
it  on  himself  and  set  about  to  explore  the  house  of  the  Great  Ty-ee.  Outside 
the  house  he  found  some  great  forests  of  fir  and  cedar  trees,  which  he  pulled 
out  by  he  roots  and  by  his  ta-mahn-a-wis  (magic)  made  them  small  enough 
so  that  he  could  carry  them  under  his  arm. 

He  then  entered  the  house  and  found  hidden  on  one  shelf  the  machinery  that 
made  the  daylight,  which  he  carried  under  the  other  arm.  He  took  some  fire 
from  under  the  smoke  hole,  put  some  ashes  around  it  and  wrapped  it  with  bark 
and  leaves  and  carried  it  in  one  hand,  in  the  other  he  carried  the  sun  which  he 
found  hidden  on  the  same  shelf  as  the  machinery  which  made  the  daylight. 
With  all  these  things  he  proceeded  to  the  lake  out  of  which  he  had  been 
trapped  on  the  previous  day,  transformed  himself  into  a  beaver  again,  dove  to 


76 


THE    SIWASH 


the  bottom  of  the  lake  and  found  where  the  spider  Ty-ee  had  made  the  rope 
fast.  He  changed  himself  back  into  old  S'Beow  again  and  descended  to  earth, 
where  he  set  out  all  the  great  trees  around  Puget  Sound.  He  gave  fire  to  the 
people,  set  the  Sun  in  position  and  put  the  machinery  that  makes  the  daylight 
to  working. 

When  Snoqualm  awoke  and  saw  what  had  been  stolen,  he  in  great  rage  pur- 
sued old  S'Beow,  going  straight  away  to  the  place  where  the  rope  was  made 
fast  and  started  to  descend  to  earth.  The  rope  gave  way  with  him  and  Sno- 
qualm and  the  great  rope  fell  in  a  heap  making  that  great  mountain  near  the 
head  waters  of  the  Snoqualmie  river,  and  the  outline  of  the  human  face  which 
the  Indian  fancies  to  this  day  that  he  can  see  in  the  distance  is  what  is  left  of 
old  Snoqualm,  once  the  Great  King  of  the  Heavens. 


CHAPTER  XX 

LEGEND   OF  THE  STICK-PAN 

One  of  the  most  common  legends  among  the  Indians  around  Puget  Sound  is 
the  story  of  the  stick-pan  or  the  magic  pan.  "Stick-pan"  is  the  Chinook 
name  of  a  shallow  wooden  tray  upon  which  the  Puget  Sound  Indians  served 
their  food  in  their  days  of  savagry.  The  story  of  the  magic  stick-pan  was  cur- 
rent among  all  the  tribes  of  the  region,  each  of  them  representing  the  scene  of 
action  to  be  along  the  river  or  stream  most  frequented  by  them. 

According  to  their  idea,  S'Beow,  although  possessed  of  many  supernatural 
powers,  was  thoroughly  human.  He  could  be  led  astray,  overcome  by  superior 
force,  killed  or  otherwise  disposed  of  as  easy  as  any  other  Siwash  so  far  as  his 
carnal  self  was  concerned;  but  his  spirit  was  unconquerable.  The  spirit  was 
immortal  and  S'Beow  was  never  so  dangerous  as  just  after  he  had  been  killed. 

In  defending  the  blind  woman  Skotah,  S'Beow  was  overcome  by  superior 
force,  killed  and  thrown  into  the  river.  All  night  his  dead  body  drifted  down 
the  river.  On  the  following  day  as  he  was  rounding  a  bend  in  the  stream  he 
came  in  sight  of  some  thin,  pale  blue  smoke  curling  heavenward  from  a  smould- 
ering vine  maple  fire  and  on  the  bank  of  the  river  inr  front  of  it  he  beheld  two 
squaws  who  were  preparing  a  couple  of  silver  salmon  for  their  dinner. 

By  this  time  S'Beow's  dead  body  had  grown  very  hungry,  even  more  hungry 
than  he  had  ever  been  when  alive,  and  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  how  he  could 
get  something  to  eat.  After  a  moment's  reflection,  however,  a  plan  suggested 
itself;  S'Beow  transfomed  himself  into  a  very  elegant,  richly  painted  stick-pan. 
Immediately  upon  catching  sight  of  it  the  squaws  put  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
river  in  their  canims  (canoes)  to  catch  it  as  it  passed  by. 

"What  a  fine  stick-pan,"  exclaimed  one  of  the  klootchmen. 

"Just  what  we  need,"  replied  the  other,  or  as  the  old  Indians  express  it: 
"Ya-ka  de-late  klosh  stick-pan,"  while  the  other  replied:  "  Mi  si-ka  hi-as 
tick-kee  o-coke." 

They  picked  it  up,  put  it  in  their  canoe  and  paddled  ashore.  Upon  reaching 
the  spit  they  proceeded  with  the  preparation  of  their  dinner,  resting  their  fish 
before  the  fire  on  crossed  sticks  and  roasting  it  in  Indian  style. 

They  ate  from  their  newly  found  stick-pan.     While  they  were  consuming  the 


78  THE    SIWASH 

upper  half  of  the  first  salmon  the  lower  half  disappeared,  they  knew  not  where. 

S'Beow  had  eaten  it. 

With  a  second  salmon  they  met  with  a  like  experience  for  S'Beow  was  very 
hungry.  At  supper  their  previous  experience  was  repeated,  so  thinking  the 
stick-pan  was  possessed  of  demons  and  being  very  angry  at  it  for  consuming  so 
much  of  their  food,  they  smashed  it  to  pieces. 

At  this  stage  old  S'Beow  cried  with  the  voice  of  an  infant:  "I'll  be  your 
baby,  I'll  be  your  baby,  if  you  dont  hurt  me." 

S'Beow  became  their  baby,  was  taken  to  their  rancheree  and  placed  on  a 
board,  a  weight  placed  on  his  head  and  suspended  from  posts  by  two  strings  so 
that  he  might  swing  as  in  a  hammock  instead  of  being  rocked  in  a  cradle. 

S'Beow  was  a  "  de-late  klosh  ten-as "  (a  very  good  baby).  When  the 
women  were  at  home  he  would  do  much  loving  and  cooing,  but  would  rarely  or 
never  cry,  but  when  they  went  out  fishing  or  gathering  salmon  berries  he  would 
transform  himself  into  old  S'Beow,  get  up  and  eat  of  their  stores  of  dried  salmon 
until  his  enormous  appetite  was  satisfied  and  would  then  change  himself  back 
into  a  baby  again  before  the  women  returned. 

Badly  as  these  childless,  lonely  women  wanted  a  baby,  they  could  not  help 
thinking  that  the  baby  was  possessed  of  evil  spirits  and  that  he  ate  the  dried 
fish  either  when  they  were  absent  from  the  house  or  when  they  were  asleep. 

At  length  they  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  baby  was  old  S'Beow,  and 
one  night  while  the  fire  was  yet  burning  they  talked  the  matter  over  and  re- 
solved to  kill  him. 

S'Beow,  hearing  this,  again  took  upon  himself  the  real  character  of  S'Beow 
and  departed.  At  dawn  he  reached  the  fish-trap  where  the  women  had  caught 
their  salmon  and  trout.  He  found  it  full  of  fish.  His  heart  was  aching  for 
revenge  so  he  destroyed  the  dam  and  allowed  the  fish  to  escape. 

The  fish  were  all  very  grateful  to  him  for  his  kindness  and  they  remembered 
him  for  it,  so  as  he  proceeded  down  the  river  the  salmon  and  trout  came  and 
poked  their  heads  out  of  the  water  at  every  meal  time  so  that  S'Beow  could 
choose  from  among  them  the  fish  that  he  wanted  to  eat. 

There  seems  to  be  niether  moral  nor  location  to  this  fragment  of  legend,  but 
it  illustrates  clearly  some  features  of  old  S'Beow's  character  as  the  average 
Puget  Sound  Indian  used  to  understand  him. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE   MAGIC   BLANKET 

One  of  the  best  stories  known  to  the  Indians  around  Puget  Sound  is  the 
legend  of  the  Ta-mahn-a-wis,  or  magic  blanket. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  boy  with  his  parents  on  the  shores  of  Puget 
Sound,  who  was  just  budding  into  young  manhood.  He  had  reached  that  point 
in  life  where  boys  prepare  to  fight  life's  battles  for  themselves,  and  where  the 
Indians  in  former  times  sought  to  discover  their  totem,  or  guardian  spirit.  This 
boy  went  alone  with  his  bow  and  arrow  into  the  woods  to  hunt  the  little  birds 
and  little  squirrels,  and  had  good  success  in  killing  the  little  birds  and  little 
squirrels.  He  took  the  skins  of  the  little  squirrels  and  the  feathers  of  the  little 
birds  and  wove  them  into  a  blanket.  Many  days  this  little  boy  hunted  in  the 
woods  for  bird  feathers  and  squirrel  skins  with  which  to  make  his  blanket, 
until  his  parents,  friends  and  all  the  rest  of  the  people  became  suspicious  of  him 
and  began  to  think  that  he  was  possessed  of  evil  spirits. 

Still  the  boy  continued  to  work  on  his  blanket  day  after  day,  from  early 
dawn  until  nightfall,  and  all  the  while  his  friends  knew  not  what  he  was  doing. 
At  length  they  became  so  much  alarmed  at  the  evil  spirits  of  this  young  man 
that  they  picked  up  all  their  effects,  and  got  in  their  canoes  and  sailed  a  long 
way  across  the  waters,  and  left  the  boy  alone  in  the  woods  without  fire,  food  or 
shelter. 

The  boy  went  home  at  night  after  having  completed  his  blanket,  upon  which 
he  had  been  at  work  so  long.  When  he  found  the  home  deserted  he  exclaimed, 
according  to  the  rendering  in  classic  Chinook: 

"Halo  piah,  pe  halo  muck-a-muck,  pe  halo  stick,  pe  halo  ictas,  pe  halo 
tillicums.  Nika  de-late  sick- turn  turn." 

If  he  had  spoken  in  English  he  would  have  said: 

"  There  is  no  fire,  and  no  food,  and  no  house,  and  no  pots,  pans,  kettles,  no 
friends  ;  in  short,  nothing.  It  makes  me  sick  at  heart."  He  looked  all  round 
for  his  people,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  them.  They  had  taken  all  of  the 
canoes  with  them  so  that  he  could  not  follow  them.  He  then  thought  of  his 
blanket.  He  went  and  got  it  and  walked  down  the  beach  to  the  edge  of  the 
salt  water.  He  dipped  one  corner  of  the  blanket  in  the  salt  "chuck"  and  shook 


80  THE    SIWASH 

it,  and  out  fell  wood,  and  he  shook  it  again  and  there  was  fire.  Again  he 
dipped  the  blanket  in  the  water,  and  when  he  shook  it  out  there  were  many 
little  Siwashes  to  keep  him  company,  and  shaking  it  again,  they  became  big 
Si  washes.  Again  he  dipped  his  blanket  in  the  water  and  shook  it,  and  there 
were  thousands  of  beautiful  smelt.  Just  then  a  big  bird  came  along  and  gob- 
bled up  all  of  the  fish  that  it  could  carry  and  flew  a  long  way  over  the  waters 
with  them  to  where  the  boy's  people  had  gone. 

The  boy's  old  mother  was  on  the  beach  looking  across  the  waters  and  bewail- 
ing his  sad  fate,  and  thinking  how  she  loved  him  and  how  sorry  she  was  that 
she  had  left  him,  and  how  she  wished  she  had  not  left  him  to  perish  there  alone. 

She  thought  she  would  see  the  rest  of  the  people  and  see  if  she  could  not 
prevail  on  them  to  go  back  to  her  son,  for  she  could  not  believe  that  he  was 
possessed  of  demons.  The  woman  looked  up  and  saw  a  great  bird  flying  from 
the  direction  where  her  boy  was  living.  The  bird  flew  directly  into  her  canoe 
and  began  to  spew  up  smelt.  Between  the  pumping  Kuhl-kulli,  for  that  was 
the  bird's  name,  would  exclaim:  "I-bro-ught-these-from-your  boy  !  I-bro-ught- 
these-from-your-boy  !"  The  great  bird  continued  to  spew  up  fish  until  the 
canoe  was  half  filled  with  smelt,  all  the  while  saying:  "  I  brought  these  from 
your  boy  !  "  As  the  mother  looked  across  the  waters  in  the  direction  in  which 
the  bird  came  her  heart  leaped  high  with  joy,  for  in  the  dim  distance  she  beheld 
a  smoke  rising  heavenward,  which  informed  her  that  her  boy  was  all  right,  for 
she  knew  that  her  boy  could  not  starve  with  so  many  fish- and  a  fire  to  cook 
them.  She  was  sure  that  he  was  possessed  of  a  good,  and  not  an  evil,  spirit. 

The  mother  told  her  friends  all  about  what  had  happened,  and  persuaded 
them  to  go  with  her  back  to  where  her  son  was  living,  and  the  boy  and  his 
parents,  his  old  friends  and  his  new  friends  all  lived  happily  together  for  many 
years  afterwards. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

LEGEND  OF  FLATHEAD   ORIGIN 

James  Henry,  a  well  known  Indian  of  Port  Gamble,  who  follows  the  sealing 
business  is  responsible  for  the  story  of  the  sky  falling  down. 

A  long  time  ago  all  the  Indians  with  flattened  heads  lived  away  up  north  in 
the  region  of  perpetual  ice  and  snow.  The  parents  of  the  race  were  ten 
brothers  and  all  of  them  were  very  big  men.  They  lived  on  deer  and  bear 
meat  and  the  flesh  of  tarmigan  or  white  grouse.  They  were  all  excellent 
archers  and  they  killed  so  many  white  grouse  with  their  bows  and  arrows  that 
the  Sagh-a-lie  Tyee  began  to  think  that  they  would  exterminate  the  species 
and  he  told  them  to  kill  no  more  white  grouse  for  one  "  snow,"  or  winter  sea- 
son. They  heeded  him  not,  for  they  kept  on  slaughtering  the  grouse  and  eat- 
ing them.  In  those  days  the  sun  passed  over  the  earth  from  east  to  west  and 
retraced  its  steps  while  they  slept,  and  the  sky  was  above  the  sun.  One  day 
the  Sagh-a-lie  Tyee  became  much  angered  at  them  for  killing  so  many  grouse, 
so  he  let  the  sky  fall  on  them. 

Then  there  followed  a  long  hard  winter  and  many  people  perished  of  hunger 
and  cold  for  they  had  not  killed  bear  and  deer  and  prepared  for  the  winter  and 
it  was  so  dark  and  there  was  so  much  ice  and  snow  that  they  could  not  see  to 
hunt  and  fish.  These  ten  brothers  awaited  the  return  of  day  for  a  long  time 
and  at  last  the  youngest  of  them  in  utter  despair  set  about  it  and  tried  to  lift 
up  the  sky  with  poles,  and  all  his  brothers  helped  him.  They  worked  in  this 
way  for  many  months.  They  would  raise  one  corner  of  the  sky  up  so  they 
could  just  see  the  day  light  and  it  would  fall  back  on  them,  and  again  all 
would  be  total  darkness,  and  all  the  land  would  be  covered  with  ice  and  snow. 
At  length,  however,  they  got  one  big  tall  pole  and  all  the  Indians  went  to 
work  with  it  and  tried  to  prop  the  sky  up,  but  for  a  long  time  they  met  with 
failure.  At  last,  however,  they  succeed  in  getting  the  sky  to  start  up  long 
enough  so  that  the  sun  could  get  under  the  great  hollow  hemisphere  which 
they  believe  the  sky  to  be,  then  the  sun  followed  around  the  longest  way  in  the 
day  time  of  summer  going  back  on  the  upper,  or  outside  of  the  sky  in  the 
shortest  route  by  night.  In  the  winter  months  it  passes  across  the  under  side 
of  the  sky  by  the  shortest  route,  and  back  on  the  outside  by  the  longest  route 
so  that  ever  since  that  time  the  Indians  have  had  the  longest  days  and  shortest 
nights  in  the  dry  months  of  summer  when  they  wanted  to  fish  and  hunt.  It 
has  always  been  light  in  the  day  time  so  that  people  could  see  to  work,  and 
dark  at  night  so  that  they  could  sleep  better,  and  the  Indians  have  had  the 
longest  nights  and  shortest  days  in  the  wet  months  of  winter  when  they  could 
do  but  little  and  wanted  to  sleep  most  of  the  time. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A   LEGEND   OF   THE   FIRST   FLOOD 

The  story  of  the  big  flood  is  common  to  all  the  tribes  around  Puget  Sound. 
The  mountain  referred  to  is  usually  the  loftiest  mountain  nearest  them.  The 
Ivummi  Indians  refer  to  Mt.  Baker,  the  upper  Stillaguamish  to  Mt.  Pilchuck 
and  the  Nisquallies  to  Mt.  Rainier,  and  each  of  them  call  their  mountain  Ta- 
ho-ma,  from  which  is  derived  the  name  Tacoma.  Ta-ho-ma  means  a  lofty 
mountain,  but  does  not  refer  to  any  peak  in  particular. 

It  was  a  long  time  ago,  just  after  the  breaking  up  of  the  great  winter,  that 
the  sky  opened  and  a  terrible  rain  and  snow  deluged  the  world  and  the  water 
kept  on  rising  higher  and  higher  until  the  great  mountains  were  covered  be- 
neath it  and  ice  and  snow,  and  the  bones  of  bear  and  deer  and  clam  shells  and 
fishbacks  and  logs  floated  on  top  of  the  water  and  settled  on  the  mountain  tops 
as  the  flood  subsided.  That  is  why  the  mountains  are  always  covered  with  ice 
and  snow.  This  also  accounts  for  the  presence  of  logs  upon  the  tops  of  the 
mountains  where  trees  have  not  grown  and  fish  bones  and  clam  shells  and  the 
like  may  be  seen  where  they  could  not  now  exist. 

Another  legend  of  similar  nature  but  more  appropriately  giving  the  Indian 
tradition  of  the  first  man  and  woman  is  told  by  one  writer  as  follows  : 

There  once  fell  upon  the  earth  a  long  terrible  rain  ;  the  Whulge  arose  ;  it 
filled  the  mountain  walls,  and  all  the  tribes  perished  except  one  man.  He  fled 
before  the  rising  waters  up  the  sides  of  Mt.  Rainier.  The  waters  rose  and  cov- 
ered the  mountain.  They  swept  over  his  feet ;  they  came  to  his  knees,  to  his 
waist.  He  seemed  about  to  be  swept  away,  when  his  feet  turned  to  stone. 

Then  the  rain  ceased.  The  clouds  broke  and  the  blue  sky  came  again,  and 
the  waters  began  to  sink. 

The  one  man  stood  there  on  top  of  Rainier.  He  could  not  lift  his  feet ; 
they  were  rocks.  Birds  flew  again,  flowers  bloomed  again,  but  he  could 
not  go. 

The  Spirit  of  All  Things  came  to  him.  "Sleep,"  said  he.  And  the  one 
man  with  stone  feet  slept. 

As  he  slept  there  the  Spirit  of  All  Things  took  from  him  a  rib  and  made  of 
it  a  woman.  When  he  awoke  there  stood  his  wife  ready-made  on  the  top  of 
Mt.  Rainier.  His  stone  shoes  dropped  off  and  the  happy  pair  came  down  the 
mountain  to  the  wooded  paradises  of  the  Whulge  on  the  sunset  sea.  Here 
sprung  the  human  race  at  the  foot  of  Rainier. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


ORIGIN  OF  SUN  AND   MOON 

Joe  Anderson,  a  Port  Madison  Indian,  tells  the  story  of  the  origin  of  the 
sun  and  moon,  a  story  which  many  of  the  Indians  still  continue  to  believe, 
notwithstanding  their  present  Christian  education. 

Long,  long  ago  an  Indian  woman  went  to  a  creek  to  wash  some  clothes  and 
left  her  little  babe  at  home  alone.  When  she  returned  she  found  that  the  child 
had  been  stolen  and  she  wept  bitterly.  When  she  again  went  to  the  creek  to 

wash  she  took  the  baby's  clothes  with  her. 
While  washing,  some  of  the  baby's  dresses 
sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  creek  and  some 
mud  got  on  the  inside  of  them.  When  she 
lifted  them  out  of  the  water  the  mud  was 
transformed  into  another  baby.  However, 
it  was  not  a  bright  clean  baby  like  the  other, 
but  a  very  black  and  dirty  one.  The  new 
baby  thrived  and  grew  very  rapidly  and  the 
mother  loved  it  dearly,  although  she  longed 
for  her  kidnapped  child  to  return. 

When  the  new  baby  got  big  enough  he 
was  always  out  at  play  in  the  mud  puddles, 
seldom  returning  until  late  at  night. 

After  awhile  the  prodigal  boy  returned  and 
played  with  the  other  boy,  who  still  con- 
tinued to  wear  a  dirty  face. 

The  parents  loved  the  clean  boy  best  and 
the  dirty  boy  became  very  jealous.     So  one 
day   the   dirty   boy  thought  he  would  go 
home  as  clean  as  the  other  boy  and  spent 
the  whole  day   in  washing   himself.      At 
night  when  he  returned  he  was  as  clean  and 
bright  as  the  sun,  and  his  brother  who  had 
MASK  USED  TO  APPEASE  CRYING  cHiL-       hitherto  been  so  clean  shone  only  like  the 
DREN— OLD-MAN-HOUSE  TRIBE  moon  m  comparison.     Then  the  clean  boy 

said  :  "  You  be  the  sun  and  I '11  be  the  moon,"  and  together  they  flew  away  and 
the  once  dirty  boy  became  the  spirit  of  the  sun  which  throws  bright  light  on 
the  earth  by  day,  and  the  once  lost  boy  became  the  moon  which  reflects  dim 
light  on  the  earth  by  night. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


SKOBIA  THE  SKUNK 

Quite  an  interesting  legend  is  the  one  describing  how  Skobia  the  Skunk  came 
to  be  so  small  as  he  is  : 

A  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  pole-cat  who  was  the  parent  of  all  the  race  of 
skunks.  He  was  a  great  skunk.  In  size  he  approached  the  cinnamon  bear  ; 
his  perfume  was  strong  in  proportion,  while  his  tread  was  correspondingly 
heavy  and  loud.  Many  were  the  nightly  visits  of  "  Skobia,"  as  the  skunk  is 
called  by  the  Indian,  to  their  camps  and  great  was  the  damage  to  life  and  com- 
fort caused  by  him. 

The  Indians  were  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  with  Skobia,  but  at  length 

they  thought  of  old  S'  Beow  and  sent  for  him.  Upon 
>his  arrival  on  the  scene  S'Beow  caused  them  all  to 
get  in  a  great  potlatch  house,  a  large  building  used 
by  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  coast  on  their  cere- 
monial occasions.  Then  they  all  set  themselves  to 
cutting  a  big  pile  of  vine  maple  wood  and  bringing 
it  into  the  potlatch  house.  At  length  when  a  suf- 
ficient pile  of  wood  had  been  gathered  together  they 
built  a  great  and  very  hot  fire  of  the  wood.  They 
fastened  up  all  the  doors  and  each  Indian  cut  him- 
self a  cudgel  about  six  feet  long.  All  but  old 
S'Beow  went  to  bed  and  pretended  to  be  asleep. 

Along  about  midnight,  after  the  fire  had  burned 
to  a  bed  of  live  coals  the  heavy  tread  of  Skobia  was 
heard  approaching  the  potlatch  house.  To  illus- 
trate the  heavy  tread  of  Skobia,  the  Indian  will  get 

CHARM  MASK  AGAINST  THE  EVIL    dowfl  Qn   ^    fours    and    glap    the    palm    of   hig    han(js 
EYE — OLD-MAN-HOUSE  TRIBE      ,  ..  ,,  ,       ,,          .,        r      ,   .  r   ,,        , 

heavily  on  the  ground  after  the  fashion  of  the  bear, 
skunk,  weasel  and  other  flat-footed  quadrupeds. 

Skobia  came  to  the  door  and  demanded  admittance,  but  no  one  paid  any  at- 
tention to  him.  He  then  begged  of  them  and  plead  with  them  and  told  them 
that  he  was  their  friend  and  wanted  to  come  in  to  see  them.  At  length  old 
S'Beow  pretended  to  rouse  up  and,  like  one  just  waking  from  a  deep  sleep,  he 


SKOBIA    THE    SKUNK 


85 


stretched  and  yawned  and  inquired  of  Skobia  what  he  wanted.     "  I  am  your 
friend  and  I  want  to  come  in  and  visit  you,"  replied  Skobia. 

"You'r  a  skunk  and  will  stink  us  out!"  said  old  S'Beow.  "  I'm  your 
friend  !  I  won't  hurt  you,"  replied  Skobia.  At  last  S'Beow  told  Skobia  how 
he  might  enter  the  house.  Skobia  was  advised  to  go  up  on  the  roof,  blindfold 
himself  and  just  reach  his  toes  down  through  the  opening  in  the  smoke  hole  so 
that  S'Beow  could  catch  hold  of  them.  He  did  so  and  S'Beow  caught  hold  of 
them  and  quickly  opened  up  the  smoke  hole  and  threw  Skobia  down  on  the 
bed  of  burning  coals. 


STONE  AND  COPPER  WAR  CLUBS — TAKEN  FROM  SKOKOMISH  INDIANS 

The  Indians  then  who  pretended  to  have  been  asleep  all  this  time,  but  who 
had  not  been  asleep  at  all,  sprung  to  their  feet,  grabbed  their  cudgels  and 
turned  Skobia  over  and  over  on  the  live  coals  and  they  kept  turning  him  over, 
and  turning  him  over,  and  Skobia  kept  growing  smaller,  and  growing  smaller, 
a  long  time  until  he  was  no  larger  than  a  rat  and  would  not  stink  enough  to 
hurt  anybody.  They  then  opened  the  door,  kicked  him  out  and  ever  since 
then  the  skunk  has  been  a  very  small  animal  and  no  Indian  has  been  afraid  of 
him. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE   EXTINCT  SHII^HOH   TRIBE 

Of  the  Shilshohs,  a  tribe  once  inhabiting  the  country  about  Salmon  bay  and 
in  ante-civilized  times  all  the  country  from  Smith's  cove  and  Lake  Union  north 
to  the  Snohomish  river,  there  is  not  at  this  time  a  single  known  representa- 
tive living,  the  tribe  is  extinct.  Of  these  Indians  little  is  known.  Dr.  H.  A. 
Smith,  of  Smith's  cove,  who  settled  among  them  about  the  time  of  the  first 
settlement  of  Seattle,  probably  has  the  best  general  knowledge  of  these  bygone 
people.  He  furnished  the  author  the  following  particulars  : 

When  I  settled  here  in  1853  about  a  dozen  Indian  families  of  the  Shilshoh 
tribe  were  still  living  on  Salmon  bay  and  I  learned  from  them  that  within  the 
recollection  of  their  old  men  they  numbered  between  500  and  600  including 
children,  and  according  to  tradition  their  numbers  once  ran  up  into  the  thou- 
sands and  that  they  occupied  the  entire  country  from  Smith's  cove  and  Lake 
Union  to  the  Snohomish  river.  They  claimed  that  the  cause  of  their  rapid 
decline  was  owing  to  frequent  raids  made  upon  them  by  the  Northern  or 
Stickeen  Indians,  who  visited  the  Sound  every  year  for  the  purpose  of  plunder  ; 
that  they  were  a  very  cruel  people  who  delighted  in  murder  and  never  spared 
prisoners  except  for  the  purpose  of  enslaving  them.  That  they  lived  in  con- 
stant dread  of  their  northern  and  warlike  foes  is  evident  from  a  circumstance 
that  came  under  my  own  observation  in  the  fall  of  1853. 

Desiring  to  reload  a  revolver  that  had  become  somewhat  rusty,  I  stepped 
out  into  the  yard  and  fired  five  or  six  shots  in  rapid  succession  about  8  o'clock 
in  the  evening. 

Three  days  after  one  of  the  Shilshohs  came  to  my  house  in  a  very  agitated 
frame  of  mind  to  inquire  if  I  had  seen  anything  of  the  Stickeens.  He  said  his 
folks  heard  rapid  firing  in  the  direction  of  my  house  three  nights  before  and 
thought  I  had  been  attacked  by  the  Northern  Indians,  perhaps  killed,  and,  to 
save  themselves  his  people  had  all  taken  to  the  woods,  where  they  were  still  in 
hiding.  He  had  skulked  around  by  Lake  Union  and  along  near  Salmon  bay 


THE    EXTINCT    SHILSHOH    TRIBE  87 

and  up  to  my  house  to  learn  if  possible  whether  the  Stickeens  had  left  Salmon 
bay.  Although  I  assured  him  that  I  had  been  the  innocent  cause  of  their 
alarm  it  was  several  days  before  they  ventured  back. 

The  few  families  that  were  here  when  I  first  came  to  live  in  the  Cove  melted 
away  like  a  morning  frost.  Gambling  is  a  ruling  passion  among  nearly  all 
Indians  and  I  attribute  their  rapid  extinction  largely  to  that  vice. 

After  the  "  Bostons,"  as  they  called  Americans  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
Hudsons  bay  traders,  came  among  them  they  soon  began  to  live  better.  They 
bought  flour,  beans,  rice,  clothes,  blankets,  and  many  of  the  more  enterprising 
among  them  lived  quite  comfortably  until  a  gambling  mania  would  seize  them 
when  they  would  frequently  gamble  off  everything  they  owned,  even  their 
clothes,  and  then  sleep  on  the  bare  ground  or  some  newly  gathered  ferns  or 
moss  and  so  nearly  naked.  The  result  of  course  would  be  colds  ending  in 
pneumonia  or  consumption. 

Dr.  Jim,  a  genuine  herb  doctor,  who  was  quite  renowned  for  his  many  aston- 
ishing cures  among  the  sable  sons  of  the  forest,  was  the  last  of  the  Shilshohs. 
He  was  really  a  superior  Siwash,  manly,  fine  looking  and  intelligent,  and  dur- 
ing the  last  years  of  his  chequred  life  he  spoke  the  English  language  fluently. 
About  fifteen  years  ago  he  grew  weary  of  this  world  and  left  it  by  hanging 
himself  to  a  rafter  in  his  own  house  at  the  mouth  of  the  Shilshoh  bay  one 
morning  while  his  old  wife  was  preparing  breakfast. 

Never  having  been  blessed  with  offspring  and  his  last  wife  being  a  lake 
Indian,  his  death  struggles  ended  the  cares  of  a  man-cursed  tribe,  once  famed 
for  its  manly  men  and  comely  maidens.  Of  course  they  were  not  comely 
viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  a  cultured  American  esthete,  but  the  maidens 
with  fine  features  and  red  cheeks  were  as  beautiful  to  the  tawny  hunter  tribes 
as  a  Hebe  would  be  to  a  Bostonian. 

Of  their  life  and  legends  Dr.  Smith  never  fully  acquainted  himself.  Here  is 
one  tribe  of  native  people  at  least  who  will  pass  into  oblivion  with  scarcely  a 
line  left  to  the  history-loving  and  history-writing  people  who  have  taken  their 
places.  One  legend  alone  and  that  the  pioneer  has  reduced  to  verse  has  been 
preserved.  The  legend,  as  it  appears,  was  written  40  years  ago  merely  for  the 
pleasure  of  it  by  the  old  pioneer  and  never  was  offered  for  publication.  It  is 
tinged  with  romance  and  relates  to  an  Indian  maiden  whose  betrothed  was 
killed  during  a  raid  by  the  Northern  or  Stickeen  Indians  to  Shilshoh  bay. 
The  Indian  maiden's  grief  was  so  great  that  she  became  deranged  and  on 
several  occasions  started  alone  in  search  of  the  absent  lover  in  a  canoe  imagin- 
ing she  could  sail  to  the  happy  hunting  grounds  and  into  the  sunshine  of  his 
happy  presence.  One  morning  she  was  missing  and  as  her  lover's  canoe  was 
gone  and  as  her  tracks  proved  that  she  had  taken  it  her  friends  easily  guessed 
her  fate  : 


88  THE    SIWASH 

GAZELLE,  THE  FOREST  MAIDEN. 

The  birds  and  the  beasts  had  retired  to  rest, 

The  sun's  lingering  rays  from  the  mountains  had  fled, 

And  angels  had  folded  away  from  the  west 
The  wind-woven  curtains  of  purple  and  red. 

The  moon's  silver  morning  had  mantled  the  hills, 
Inviting  the  world's  weary  millions  to  lay 

Their  sorrows  aside  for  the  beauty  that  thrills 
And  soothes  into  silence  the  cares  of  the  day. 

When,  lured  by  the  luster  of  mountain  and  lea, 

A  maniac-maiden  stole  out  of  her  tent 
To  wander  and  weep  by  the  sorrowing  sea 

And  sadden  the  night  with  her  mournful  lament. 

A  sibylline  song  to  her  lover  she  sang, 

As  she  sat  in  the  moonlight  alone  by  his  grave, 

And  a  more  mournful  strain  on  the  night  never  rang 
Or  saddened  the  soul  of  a  guardian  brave. 

"  How  oft  have  I  seen  him  when  only  a  child, 
His  forehead  with  feathery  fetishes  crownded, 

Arrest  with  his  arrow  the  deer  in  the  wild, 

Or  bring  the  gray  swan  from  the  sky  to  the  ground. 

' '  How  oft  have  I  seen  a  strange  light  in  his  eyes 
As  over  the  white  foaming  billows  we  whirled 

And  watched  the  red  lightnings  dart  down  from  the  skies 
To  pilot  the  hurricane  over  the  world. 

"  No  more  by  the  tempest  tossed  sea  will  he  stroll, 
No  more  will  he  worship  the  wilderness  here, 

For  his  spirit  has  gone  to  the  home  of  the  soul 
Where  bison  and  elk  are  abundant  as  deer. 

"  O  that  the  Great  Spirit  would  answer  my  plea 
And  bear  me  away  on  the  wings  of  the  waves 

To  that  lovlier  land  that  lies  over  the  sea, 

Where  winds  never  moan  over  moss-covered  graves. ' ' 

While  singing,  her  eyes  by  fatality  strayed 
To  a  little  canoe,  that  she  loved  as  her  life, 

In  which  they  had  sailed  from  a  flowery  glade 
The  morning  he  promised  to  make  her  his  wife. 


THE    EXTINCT    SHILSHOH    TRIBE  89 

Soon  a  wild  fancy  seized  her,  she  paused  not  to  ask 

A  moment  its  meaning,  her  only  desire 
Was  strength  to  perform  the  congenial  task 

Her  genius  loci  saw  fit  to  inspire. 

A  brief  minute  more  and  the  bark  was  untied, 

With  a  fluttering  heart  and  a  tremulous  hand, 
And  launched  on  the  waters,  so  lonely  and  wide, 

That  rapidly  hurried  away  from  the  land. 

"  I'll  find  him  !  I'll  find  him  !  "  she  shouted  in  glee, 

' '  His  tent  must  be  pitched  in  some  flowery  dell 
In  the  land  of  the  sachems  beyond  the  blue  sea 

Where  now  he  is  waiting  to  welcome  Gazelle." 

The  full  moon  was  nearing  the  noonday  of  night, 

The  waves  sang  the  songs  she  had  loved  when  a  child, 

And  her  young,  happy  heart  was  elate  with  delight 
As  they  bore  her  away  from  her  dear  native  wild. 

And  as  onward  she  sped  at  the  tide's  rapid  pace, 

Alone  with  her  heart  and  the  heavens  above, 
The  silent  stars  looked  on  her  young,  sinless  face, 

Too  full  of  faith's  pathos,  with  pity  and  love. 

For,  far  to  the  westward  the  winds  were  at  war, 

And  soon  sudden  darkness  spread  over  the  world, 
The  waves  were  abroad  with  a  hoarse,  sullen  roar 

And  nearer  and  colder  they  eddied  and  curled. 

The  moon  and  the  stars  with  their  stillness  were  gone, 

Red  meteors  darted  anon  through  the  dark, 
And  fate  seemed  to  hurry  the  hurricane  on 

Where  rocked  on  the  billows  a  rudderless  bark. 

When  Neptune,  near  morning,  the  billows  had  bound 

And  stars  hung  in  heaven  like  spangles  of  gold, 
Deep  down  in  the  regions  of  silence  profound 

A  form,  faintly  human,  lay  lifeless  and  cold. 

But  where,  oh  ye  winds,  is  the  maniac-maiden  ? 

And  what  of  love's  hopes  that  so  often  have  lied  ? 
Let  us  trust  she  arrived  at  the  red  hunter's  Aiden 

And  greeted  the  warrior  awaiting  his  bride. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

QUINAIULTS  AND   QUILLAYUTES 

Beyond  the  black  range  of  the  Olympic  mountains,  which  can  be  seen  stand- 
ing out  in  such  bold  relief  against  the  western  horizon  from  the  bluffs  about 
the  cities  of  the  Sound  on  bright  days,  sits  the  little  village  of  the  Quinaiult 
Indians,  whose  last  remnant  of  a  once  mighty  tribe  now  scarce  numbers  a 
hundred  persons.  There's  a  long  shingle  of  beach,  a  glistening  reach  of  sand, 
bright  under  the  glare  of  summer  suns,  with  a  broad  sweep  of  salty  bay, 
flecked  here  and  there  with  a  few  jagged  and  black-looking  rocks,  the  sporting 
ground  of  the  sea  otter  the  year  round.  Outside  the  line  of  pointed  rocks  the 
swells  from  the  restless  Pacific  ocean  come  tumbling  in  and  are  broken  into 
white  foam  and  dashing  spray  upon  the  rocks  or,  missing  those  roll  on  upon 
the  beach  and  curl  the  shimmering  reach  of  sand  into  pretty  riffles.  At  the 
rear  is  a  dense  background  of  forest  that  reaches  far  into  the  interior  until  it 
runs  out  at  the  timber  line  far  up  the  sloping  sides  of  the  Olympics.  The 
Quinaiult  river  rushes  out  through  the  tangle  of  forest  past  the  village  and 
pours  its  purling  waters  into  the  long  stretch  of  bay,  as  if  glad  to  escape  from 
the  imprisonment  of  woods  and  jungle.  The  little  village  is  an  ideal  scene, 
one  to  swell  the  ambitions  of  the  artist,  and  to  please  the  fancy  of  the  legend- 
lover  or  the  story  teller.  To  the  north'ard  many  miles  and  on  clear  days  can 
be  seen  the  jutting  outline  of  Cape  Flattery,  that  most  northwesterly  point  of 
land  in  these  United  States,  and  around  whose  base  the  waters  of  the  ocean 
surge  and  roll  and  never  rest,  and  where,  'tis  said,  "  a  day  has  never  passed 
whereon  it  has  not  rained." 

To  thesouth'ard  is  the  long  reach  of  coast  land,  with  few  breaks,  that  runs 
away  into  the  distant  perspective  and  finally  loses  itself  in  a  hazy  and  blue 
horizon.  Many,  many  moons  ago,  so  runs  the  tradition  of  the  Quinaiults, 
their  people  were  numbered  by  the  thousands,  and  they  held  a  great  power  over 
other  and  adjacent  tribes,  above  that  of  any  tribe  that  inhabited  all  the  coast 
lands  thereabouts.  But  many  changes  have  taken  place  since  the  sun  of  the 
ancient  Quinaiult  was  in  the  zenith.  The  warriors  of  the  tribe  lie  buried  in 
the  dense  copse  and  wood  that  feather-edge  the  great  sand  stretches  of  the 
ocean  beach,  and  a  degenerated  handful  of  men  and  women  and  children,  a 


THE    QUINAIULTS   AND    QUILLAYUTES  91 

few  dogs  and  chickens  keep  watch  over  the  graves  and  cling  to  the  little  grass 
plats  that  formed  the  neucleus  of  their  once  almost  boundless  domain.  Worse 
far,  all  their  happy  hunting  grounds  have  been  curtailed  by  a  maternal  govern- 
ment until  now  but  a  stretch  of  ocean  beach  and  a  narrow  breadth  of  mighty 
forest  land  is  all  that  is  left  that  they  can  call  their  own. 

One  street,  crooked  in  a  right  angle  half  way  in  its  length,  serves  the  little 
village  for  a  thoroughfare,  aye,  more  than  answers,  for  little  use  have  the  hand- 
ful of  Quinaiults  who  are  left  for  street  or  thoroughfare  other  than  the  naked 
beach.  The  ocean  shore  is  their  highway  and  the  cedar  canoe  their  favored 
and  their  only  equipage,  and  they  ask  for  nothing  better. 

Of  their  habitations  there  is  not  much  to  attract  except  in  their  very  quaint- 
ness.  There  are  very  few  and  as  the  years  roll  by  there  will  be  fewer  still,  for 
the  Quinaiults  will  soon  be  known  only  in  history  or  musty  tradition. 
Several  of  their  rude  structures,  bare  imitations  copied  from  the  whites  who 
have  crowded  them  down  upon  the  narrow  beach,  are  raised  on  stilts  or  ele- 
vated foundations  just  out  of  reach  of  the  turbulent  tides.  These  raised  struct- 
ures are  not,  however,  the  rule,  for  the  larger  number  line  the  little  foot-path 
out  of  reach  of  the  restless  waters.  The  majority  of  the  buildings  have  for 
the  floor  the  mother  earth.  The  exteriors  generally  are  as  rude  as  the  floor. 
An  ordinary  barn  far  outranks  the  unclassic  habitation  of  the  older  Quinaiults, 
and  even  the  rising  generation  fails  in  its  efforts  to  approach  the  rudest  ideal  of 
the  Boston  man. 

The  ' '  renaissance ' '  erections  of  Quinaiult  and  also  the  two  government 
buildings,  for  there  is  an  agency  on  the  ground,  only  serve  to  contrast  with  the 
ultra-conservatism  apparent  in  the  greater  portion  of  this  veritable  wind- washed 
place.  Hand-riven  cedar,  now  darkly  stained  and  moss-covered  by  age,  rudely 
but  snugly  laid  together  after  the  fashion  of  a  barn,  describes  the  exterior. 
But  within,  what  study  !  The  colder  comfort  of  the  exterior  has  vanished. 
There  is  little  light,  for  there  are  no  windows,  and  the  smoke  from  the  fire 
which  burns  somewhere  within  hides  one's  view.  Gradually,  however,  one 
can  see. 

The  household  is  generally  squatting  upon  rush  mats,  with  darkened  faces 
and  queer  fashion  presenting  a  strange  picture  illumined  by  the  glow  of  the 
small  log  fire.  The  most  conspicuous  of  the  group,  perhaps,  will  be  an  old 
woman  or  older  man  of  short  stature  and  appearing  broken  down  with  age. 
The  rank  growth  of  heavy  gray  hair,  for  all  wear  it  to  its  full  length,  covers 
almost  entirely  the  small,  wizened  features,  now  characteristic  of  little  but  de- 
crepitude and  imbecility,  but  showing  a  sharply  receding  forehead,  sharp  eyes, 
and  small,  regular  teeth,  yet  preserved  with  fair  whiteness ;  covered  with  a 
parti-colored  shawl  or  blanket,  clothed  in  an  ordinary  skirt  and  bodice,  or  with 
a  dirty,  faded  shirt,  if  it  be  a  man,  and  decorated  with  ancient  trinkets  which 


92  THE    SIWASH 

have  dangled  from  the  ears  for  perhaps  a  hundred  years,  forms  one  only  of  the 
old  dames  or  gray  beards  who  are  found  attached  to  the  Quinaiult  household. 
If  a  squaw,  her  time  is  occupied  stirring  the  contents  of  an  iron  kettle  contain- 
ing salmon,  while  other  members  of  the  family  engage  in  mat-making  or  bas- 
ket-weaving. One  or  two  fat  and  naked  little  Quinaiults  are  also  in  view, 
playing  with  the  domestic  pets  of  all  kinds — chickens,  cats  and  dogs.  They 
are  watched  by  the  mother  with  a  truly  maternal  care.  The  latter  displays, 
with  average  height  but  heavy  proportions,  a  healthy,  active  form,  indicating  a 
strength  not  much  inferior  to  that  of  her  liege  lord  and  husky-looking  hus- 
band. Indeed,  the  woman  is  built  for  the  work  in  which  she  so  exerts  herself 
when  poling  in  the  canoe  on  the  rapids  of  her  own  Quinaiult  river,  for  a  long 
reach  of  their  favorite  stream  running  back  into  the  hills  the .  tribe  holds  as 
part  of  its  own  domain.  Her  features  are  full  and  round,  of  the  usual  Flat- 
head  type,  and  display  an  intelligence  immediately  remarked  in  contrast  with 
her  aged  kindred.  Though  living  in  huts  no  better  than  stables  or  outhouses, 
she  is  contented,  rather  neat  in  attire  and  not  unhappy. 

But  the  truer  type  of  the  tribe,  the  head  of  the  household,  is  also  there,  a 
living  study  for  the  enthusiast — a  portrait  not  yet  portrayed.  His  face  and  his 
bearing  recall  the  Indian  stoic  of  romance  and  bring  to  mind  the  heroes  of  the 
sun  dance.  In  youth  this  full-blooded  nomad  of  the  water  had  slain  three  men 
in  single-handed  combat  or  accomplished  other  warlike  deeds.  There  is  some 
trace  of  thought  in  his  countenance,  and,  notwithstanding  the  flat  head  he 
bears  himself  as  a  freeman.  The  eye  of  the  man  is  small  and  oblique,  well 
lashed,  and  surmounted  by  heavy  eyebrows.  The  nose  is  wide,  not  very 
prominent  ;  mouth  large,  and  of  impressive  line.  His  figure  is  well  balanced — 
a  heavy  frame  covered  by  rounded  flesh,  not  particulary  sinewy.  His  negligee 
is  a  shirt  only — there  is  no  orthodox  dress  for  the  male  portion  of  the  tribe. 

Types  in  the  tribe  are  greatly  varied  at  this  late,  or  rather  last,  period  of  ex- 
istence. The  specific  characteristic  is  the  flat  head. 

In  physique  the  Quinaiult  cannot  compare  with  his  brother  of  the  plains.  He 
has  matured  in  the  damp  shadows  of  the  forest  and  in  the  cramped  limits  of  the 
cedar  canoe — not  on  the  boundless  prairie.  The  group  before  us,  however, 
shows  signs  of  health  and  strength,  without  great  vivacity. 

The  method  of  dining  is  as  simple  as  the  meal  itself,  for  each  of  the  family 
dips  promiscuously  into  a  kettle  with  a  small  ladle  of  horn.  Salmon,  often 
without  other  addition  whatever  to  the  bill  of  fare,  is  relished  to  excess. 

Since  the  days  to  which  their  earliest  tradition  extends  the  lordly  salmon  has 
graced  the  Quinaiult' s  frugal  board.  True  the  waters  that  wash  up  against  his 
rude  dwelling  contain  countless  thousands  of  other  fish,  but  they  never  show 
themselves  in  the  fresh  water  streams. 

Of  game  they  have  but  little,  and  as  the  years  go  by  what  little  they  have 


been  used  to  gradually  diminishes.  Salmon  is  the  chief  staple  diet  and  will  con- 
tinue to  be  so  until  the  last  Quinaiult  has  departed  to  the  happy  fishing 
grounds. 

Besides  the  salmon  and  other  fish  the  older  Quinaiults  lived  upon  the 
products  as  well  of  the  forest  and  the  stream,  as  do  in  a  measure  the  remnant 
of  the  tribe  now  left.  Encroaching  civilization  has  driven  the  game  almost 
out  of  his  reach  now,  for  the  Quinaiult  is  a  hunter  who  doesn't  like  trailing 
through  the  dense  woods.  He  must  now  depend  on  a  relish  from  the  garden  of 
some  sort  to  take  the  place  of  the  juicy  steaks  of  the  game  of  the  forest. 

In  the  waters  of  the  ocean  they  still  seek  the  valuable  sea  otter,  the  seal,  and 
sea  lion,  and  at  times  the  whale  from  which  everything  eatable  almost  is  sent  to 
the  larder.  In  the  woods  they  still  track  the  deer,  the  elk  and  the  bear  and 
trap  the  otter,  the  beaver  and  the  mink  at  the  river  brink,  though  had  they 
still  to  depend  upon  these  for  sustenance  they  would  go  to  bed  on  half  rations. 
The  furs  they  secure,  however,  go  a  good  ways  in  keeping  the  proverbial  wolf 
from  the  door  of  their  hovels. 

In  the  ocean  and  river  chase,  however,  is  where  these  redmen  excel,  for  they 
have  literally  been  bred,  born  and  brought  up  on  the  waters.  Bravery  in  the 
canoe,  on  the  surf  or  in  the  rapid  rivers  where  no  other  craft  can  live,  is  the 
leading  virtue  of  the  Quinaiult.  He  will  pack  in  his  ictas  and  his  household, 
and  course  the  waters  of  the  river  or  the  coast  and  send  the  canoe  spinning 
through  the  strongest  currents  that  chase  about  the  base  of  Flattery  Rocks 
with  the  daring  hardihood  of  a  Dohomian  warrior  in  battle.  He  will  course 
along  the  coastland  in  waters  that  no  ordinary  vessel  will  attempt  and  seldom 
is  it  that  the  Quinaiult  population  is  decreased  by  wrecks  at  sea. 

The  Quinaiult  has  no  excessive  love  of  life.  He  is  stoic,  living  in  the  hope 
of  the  happy  hunting  or  fishing  ground,  and  a  few  years  ago  the  custom  of 
slaying  the  pony  of  the  dead  at  the  grave  was  still  practiced.  It  is  even  now 
the  custom  to  place  the  gold  of  the  dead  in  the  mouth  and  hands,  burying  it 
with  them.  "  They  will  need  it  on  the  journey  to  the  happy  hunting  grounds," 
and  the  cupidity  of  the  Quinaiult  is  never  aroused  at  the  sight  of  gold  when 
one  of  his  people  dies,  for  they  like  all  other  western  Indians  have  an  excessive 
love  of  family. 

Along  the  somber  banks  of  the  Quinaiult  river  at  this  day  are  many  graves, 
bearing  on  the  exterior,  in  decorative  form,  the  minor  personal  belongings  of 
the  body  within.  There  were  graves  pointed  out  which  were  made  earlier  than 
their  tradition  records  and  once  graceful  canoes  of  cedar  placed  above  their 
dead  owners  are  now  crumbling  into  unshapely  forms. 

Marriage  is  a  simple  institution  of  "  take  a  wife  and  live  with  her." 

The  potlatch  dance,  or  gift  feast,  is  the  year's  social  event  at  Quinaiult. 

Upon  the  acquirement  of  wealth  the  fortunate  man  issues  a  manifest  to  his 


94  THE    SIWASH 

own  and  other  tribes  that  it  is  his  intention  to  hold  a  potlatch  merriment.  He 
gives  up  his  entire  fortune,  for  he  acquires  thereafter  the  title  of  "  tyee  "  or 
chief.  Presents  of  all  values  are  lavishly  distributed  to  those  who  attend.  It 
is  a  grotesque  ceremony  and  lasts  many  days. 

The  superstition  of  the  tribe  forms  a  wierd  chapter.  The  medicine  man  is 
the  chief  factor.  He  has  in  his  possession  hideously  painted  and  carved  wooden 
images,  shamens  of  wonderful  power  in  Quinaiult.  Representing  grossly  ex- 
aggerated human  proportions,  and  of  no  merit  as  a  work  of  art,  they  bear  no 
description.  It  is  in  sickness  that  these  "  big  medicines,"  as  they  are  called,  are 
used  by  the  doctor,  who  remains  in  practice  against  all  devices  of  the  evil  one 
to  suppress  his  power. 

One  of  the  latest  affairs  in  which  this  big  medicine  was  practiced,  resulted 
in  the  death  of  three  children,  all  of  the  same  family,  after  many  weeks  of 
noisy  demonstration  by  the  doctors.  The  father's  wealth  was  spent  in  heavy 
payments  to  the  medicine  men,  called  by  him  from  various  tribes  to  administer 
to  his  sick  girls,  who  at  first  showed  nothing  more  than  the  symptoms  of  a 
simple  disease.  In  company  with  the  doctors  also  were  many  neighbors,  who 
crowded  the  limited  quarters  of  the  sick  room  to  suffocation,  in  the  perform- 
ances of  their  wild  orgies.  Night  and  day  would  be  heard  the  horse  chant  of 
the  medicine  men,  chorused  vociferously  by  the  crowd,  and  the  beating  of  the 
tom-tom  drum.  The  young  ones  lay  helpless  and  unattended,  without  hope  or 
chance  of  recovery. 

Few  strangers  pass  through  the  village  without  hearing  the  noise  of  the  tom- 
tom, and  the  chant  of  death  at  the  sick  bed.  However  trifling  the  complaint 
the  medicine  man  is  called  and  heavily  recompensed  for  his  services. 

The  indulgence  of  superstition,  however,  is  better  illustrated  by  the  recent 
conduct  of  the  unhappy  mother  of  a  child  which  became  slightly  sick.  The 
incident  happened  during  one  of  the  cold  and  stormy  nights  of  winter.  Dark- 
ness had  long  announced  the  hour  of  sleep  when  a  wailing  cry  was  heard  com- 
ing from  the  side  of  the  river,  where  nothing  but  a  forest-covered  bluff  exists. 
The  cry  was  one  almost  of  agony  and  was  continued  throughout  the  night. 
At  times  the  wail  of  woe  would  be  borne  away  by  the  soughing  of  the  woods 
in  the  gale  or  be  drowned  by  the  roar  of  breakers  close  at  hand.  No  light  was 
seen.  With  the  faith  of  a  fanatic  and  endurance  of  a  mother's  love  the 
mourner  spent  the  night  alone  in  the  cold  and  rain,  wrapped  in  no  cover  but  a 
single  blanket,  in  the  belief  that  the  evil  spirit  would  not  find  her  babe  in  the 
darkness.  The  strange  faith  of  the  woman  is  paralleled  by  the  worship  prac- 
ticed by  an  old  medicine  man,  still  living,  of  the  tribe.  In  a  dilapidated  dwell- 
ing the  Indian  erected  a  charred  hemlock  pole  of  slight  dimensions,  securing 
thereto  a  covering  of  eagle  and  other  feathers.  The  idol  was  complete  in  its 
simplicity  and  exemplified  a  tradition  of  the  medicine  man's  power.  Its  signifi- 


THE    QUINAIULTS    AND    QUILLAYUTES  95 

cance,  however,  remains  buried  within  the  bosom  of  the  taciturn  worshiper. 
For  days  and  nights  he  knelt  beside  this  strange  design  without  eating,  without 
sleeping,  but  partly  chanting,  partly  talking,  with  earnest  gesture  and  uplifted 
face,  he  called  up  the  mystery  of  his  superstition. 

The  great  highway  of  the  tribe,  next  to  the  ocean  itself,  is  the  swiftly  flow- 
ing Quinaiult  river,  up  which  they  run  their  light  canoes  to  the  lake  of  the 
same  name.  In  the  summer  and  sometimes,  too,  when  the  snow  whitens  the 
upper  lying  forests,  the  canoe  highway  is  relinquished  and  the  Indian  takes 
the  trail  through  the  woods  or  over  the  mountains.  From  the  lake  of  Quin- 
aiult, resting  in  the  foothills  of  the  Olympics,  within  hearing  of  the  ocean's 
roar,  many  trails  are  blazed  to  camps,  made  long  years  ago,  where  fat  elk  have 
been  butchered  and  dried  by  the  Indians. 

The  mountains  form  the  summer's  paradise  of  the  tribe.  It  is  there  that 
bands  of  elk  may  be  seen  gamboling  on  the  unmelted  snow  in  the  glare  of  the 
sun  ;  and  the  black  bear  may  be  seen  in  numbers  feeding  on  the  luxurious 
wild  berries.  But  the  lake  itself,  perhaps,  is  regarded  by  the  Indians  as  their 
greatest  natural  treasure.  The  year  round  it  is  the  haunt  of  numerous  kinds 
of  salmon,  tempted  there  from  the  ocean  to  spawn.  Thousands  of  trout  may 
be  seen  also  in  its  transparent  depths  and  wild  fowl  flock  to  its  inviting  feeding 
grounds  in  great  numbers  from  all  climes.  At  times,  too,  a  deer  makes  its 
way  from  bank  to  bank.  It  is  an  ideal  spot,  but  will  not  much  longer  be  the 
domain  of  the  Quinaiult  tribe. 

The  interior  of  the  Quinaiult  hut  is  more  interesting  than  the  outside.  In 
the  smoke  and  dull  light  the  details  of  the  house  are  almost  invisible.  The 
mountings  of  a  rack  of  firearms,  seven  or  eight  in  number,  attract  inquiry  as 
they  glimmer  in  the  firelight.  They  are  relics  of  many  years  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  or  two.  The  most  ancient  is  a  flint-lock,  of  immense  bore  and  short 
barrel,  the  stock  being  inlaid  with  native  work  of  bone.  Another  is  an  old 
muzzle-loading  Kentucky  rifle  standing  as  high  as  the  hunter  himself ;  and  of 
more  recent  date  is  the  old  reliable  Sharp's,  picked  up  by  the  present  genera- 
tion in  their  migrations  to  the  hop  fields  on  Puget  Sound  or  in  barter. 

Here  and  there  many  things  tell  of  the  chase — the  short  thick  string  bow  of 
Alaska  cedar,  together  with  a  quiver  of  feathered  arrows,  steel  traps  and  the 
salmon  and  otter  spears  (fir  poles  an  inch  in  diameter  and  18  feet  long) 
mounted  with  two  keen  points  of  elk  or  deer  horn,  and  secured  by  thongs  of 
rawhide,  and  a  dozen  other  curious  relics.  The  domestic  belongings  of  the 
family  are  within  the  building.  Canoe  poles  of  young  hemlock  and  the  strong, 
light  and  gracefully  made  paddles  of  native  yew- wood  are  stowed  away  under 
the  roof.  Hanging  on  the  walls  are  rush  mats,  clam  baskets  and  more  fanci- 
fully-designed baskets  delicately  weaved  of  dyed  spruce  roots,  forming  one  of 
the  more  profitable  pastimes  of  the  women.  Relics  of  the  hunt,  hides,  furs, 


96  THE    SIWASH 

tanned  skins,  horns  and  skulls  are  in  every  odd  corner.  Fresh  meats  and  fresh 
salmon  are  hung  in  the  cool  shade  without  the  house.  Salmon  is  also  hung  up 
to  dry  in  the  sun  without,  and  masses  of  salmon  are  hanging  from  the  rafters 
within,  curing  by  smoke  from  the  daily  fires.  Salmon  aroma  is  everywhere. 

There  is  no  furniture  proper.  The.  family  beds  are  laid  upon  platforms 
raised  a  few  inches  from  the  floor,  with  a  few  rush  mats  for  mattresses.  The 
appearance  of  the  whole  interior  is  primitive  to  a  degree.  It  is  a  study  on 
nature's  own  farm. 

Probably  of  all  their  pastimes  the  sea  otter  chase  lends  the  greatest  excite- 
ment and  shows  the  Quinaiult  Indian  at  his  best.  The  otter  loves  the  surf 
that  tosses  about  around  and  over  the  jutting  rocks  that  fringe  a  few  islands  out 
in  the  bay  in  front  of  the  village.  Strong  tides  rush  in  eddying  currents 
between  the  rocks  and  the  shore  line,  and  following  these  the  Quinaiult  pushes 
his  sea  boat  out  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  rocks  and  meets  the  glossy-coated 
animal  in  his  most  pleasant  haunt.  The  smoothbore  is  now  used  largely  by 
the  present  hunters,  but  the  spear  once  formed  the  only  weapon  used  in  the 
chase  as  the  bow  and  quiver  did  on  land. 

The  Quinaiult  builds  himself  a  lookout  on  shore  and  a  sentinel  is  at  all  con- 
venient times  perched  up  aloft  with  his  gaze  seaward,  on  the  lookout  for  any 
object  of  the  chase  by  sea.  When  a  whale  or  otter  or  a  herd  of  seals  is  spied 
the  sentinel  gives  the  warning  and  all  able-bodied  members  of  the  tribe  rush 
for  the  fleet  of  canoes  always  drawn  up  on  the  beach. 

Few  ships  appear  in  the  offing  and  fewer  steam  vessels  beat  the  waters  along 
the  shoreline,  for  Quinaiult  is  nearly  midway  between  Gray's  harbor  and  the 
entrance  to  the  straits  at  Cape  Flattery.  There  are  no  roads  leading  across 
country  to  the  distant  settlements  on  the  Sound,  and  Quinaiult  is  therefore  a 
lonesome  place.  The  white  settler  is  encroaching  upon  the  Quinaiult,  but  his 
life  must  be  largely  an  extension  of  the  native's  for  many  years  to  come  until 
the  friendly  railroad  reaches  him — if  it  ever  does. 


QUINIAULTS   HUNTING   HAIR   SEAL 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


TRADITION    OF  A   GREAT   INDIAN    BATTLE 

The  Puget  Sound  Indians  have  a  tradition  of  a  great  battle  in  which  the 
Quillayutes  were  almost  annihilated  : 

For  many  years  in  the  early  days  of  the  country,  as  early  as  1869,  residents 
of  what  is  now  Jefferson  county  were  puzzled  over  the  vast  number  of  human 

bones,  principally  skulls,  that  lay  scat- 
tered about  the  beach  not  far  from  the 
military  post  that  had  been  established 
at  PortTownsend.  That  a  great  Indian 
battle  had  been  fought  and  great  slaugh- 
ter made  by  the  defeated,  was  plain  but 
where  and  by  whom  was  a  mystery.  The 
Indians  then  resident  near  the  post  were 
mysterious  and  non-committal  on  the  sub- 
ject and  their  chiefs  smoked  and  were 
mute.  The  noted  paper  chief,  Duke  of 
York,  though  the  heydey  of  his  power 
was  gone,  was  still  an  important  person- 
age among  the  Indians  and  settlers  and 
from  him  Mr.  J.  A.  Kuhn,  then  residing 
at  Port  Townsend,  decided  to  obtain  the 
information  so  much  desired.  Strategy 
alone  could  succeed  ;  mild  persuasion  had 
been  tried  often  and  by  various  ones. 
COPPER  AND  IRON  DAGGERS,  MOOSE  HIDE  The  great  chief  of  the  Clallam  tribe  per- 
SHEATH-SOUND  INDIANS  sistently  refused  to  tell  and  insisted 

vehemously  that  he  could  not  account  for  the  presence  of  the  human  relics. 
However,  Mr.  Kuhn  one  day  induced  the  old  chief  to  accompany  him  to  an 
island  in  the  Sound  to  search  for  shells,  leaving  the  chiefs  two  wives,  Jenny 
and  Queen,  who  were  always  his  traveling  companions,  at  home.  While  there, 
Mr.  Kuhn  after  all  endeavors  to  get  the  Indian  to  divulge  the  story  of  the  bat- 
tle had  failed,  told  the  chief  to  call  at  his  home  on  a  certain  day  and  he  would 
show  him  a  sign  from  heaven  and  prove  to  the  Indians  that  he  was  no  ordinary 


100 


THE    SIWASH 


being  and  that  if  the  Duke  did  not  tell  him  all  he  knew  of  the  massacre  he 
would  cause  the  chief  and  his  people  great  trouble.  The  noble  old  Indian 
with  a  large  retinue  of  followers  was  on  hand  at  Mr.  Kuhn's  house  on  the  day 
appointed.  Mr.  Kuhn's  trick  was  the  old  one  of  bringing  on  the  darkness, 
and  the  untutored  and  savage  mind  was  to  be  awed  by  an  eclipse.  The  white 
man's  power  of  foretelling  being  ascribed  to  the  supernatural  and  a  direct  con- 
nection with  the  spirits  that  control  all  things  on  the  earth  and  in  the  sky.  It 
was  known  to  Mr.  Kuhn  that  on  the  day  set  for  the  appearance  at  his  house  of 
the  old  Indian  there  would  be  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  sufficient  in  importance  to 
overawe  the  mind  of  the  chief  and  compel  him  to  tell  the  story  from  fear. 
When  the  eclipse  occurred  the  old  chief  readily  complied  and  told  the  story  of 
a  great  massacre  of  the  people  of  the  Quillayute  tribe  whose  possessions  ex- 
tended along  the  Pacific  ocean  south  of  Cape  Flattery  and  joining  on  the  straits 
that  of  the  Clallam  tribe  over  which  the  old  Duke  reigned  on  the  east. 

The  Clallams  claimed  all  the  shore  of  the  country  extending  from  Pysht  on 

the  straits  of  Fuca  to  Hood's  canal.  The 
Quillayutes  had  invaded  part  of  the 
ground  claimed  by  the  old  Indian  and  his 
tribe.  They  hunted  in  their  woods,  fished 
for  their  salmon  and  dug  their  clams 
without  permission.  Hatred  for  them 
soon  caused  the  Duke  of  York  to  plot 
their  extermination.  The  Clallam  tribe 
not  being  strong  enough  of  themselves 
TWANA  WAR  CLUBS  to  make  war  upon  the  invaders,  the 

crafty  old  chief  sent  emissaries  to  the  Skagit  tribe  to  induce  them  to  enter 
with  him  upon  a  war.  The  mission  was  successful  and  a  number  of  their 
allies  prepared  to  commence  the  slaughter  of  the  unsuspecting  enemy.  The 
Quillayutes  at  the  time  were  encamped  upon  the  beach  fishing  and  merry-mak- 
ing all  unconscious  of  the  terrible  fate  so  soon  to  overtake  them.  They  were 
there  with  all  their  ictas,  their  papooses  scampering  about  the  white  sands, 
or  scudding  through  the  woods  in  the  rear  while  the  death-dealing  Duke  of 
York  was  planning  their  destruction.  The  Skagit  Indians  brought  on  the 
attack  by  appearing  in  front  of  the  peaceful  Quillayute  camp  in  canoes,  yel- 
ling and  hooting  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy  and  bring  them  all 
out  and  down  to  the  beach.  The  old  Duke  of  York  and  his  warriors,  who 
were  hidden  in  the  woods  in  the  rear,  rushed  out  of  their  hiding  places  and 
the  slaughter  began.  The  Skagit  warriors  landed  and  the  battle  was  soon 
raging  fiercely.  The  attacking  parties  were  too  strong  and  the  Quillayutes 
were  soon  at  their  mercy.  The  battle  lasted  but  a  short  time  and  soon  there 
was  not  a  Quillayute  brave  left.  There  is  nothing  to  mark  the  site  of  the  great 


TRADITION  OF  A  GREAT  INDIAN  BATTLE 


101 


slaughter  at  this  day  save  a  few  ghastly  skulls  whose  wide  eyeless  sockets  stare 
up  at  the  passerby  from  their  bed  of  gravel  on  the  beach.  Picnics  are  now 
held  on  the  old  battle  ground  and  it  sometimes  happens  while  some  young  lady 
and  her  lover  stroll  about  the  shaded  paths,  or  seated  on  some  mystic  seat 
their  tete-a-tete  is  interrupted  by  a  sudden  view  of  one  of  these  mementoes  of 
the  once  numerous  tribe  of  Quillayutes. 

Another  account  which  seems  to  cover  much  the  same  similar  occurrence  at 
the  same  place  gives  it  that  the  tribe  of  the  Duke  of  York  were  massacred 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  few.  This  took  place,  so  it  is  related,  when  the 


A   QUINIAULT   HUT 

old  Duke  was  a  small  Indian  about  14  years  of  age.  The  assailants  were  Sit- 
kas,  T'Klinkit  or  some  other  band  of  Alaska  Indians  who  came  by  the  way  of 
Oak  bay,  near  L,udlow,  across  the  spit  to  the  present  site  of  Hadlock,  caught 
the  Clallams  asleep  and  killed  some  600  of  them.  It  is  claimed  that  the  re- 
mains are  still  discoverable  at  that  point.  As  the  Duke  was  about  80  when  he 
died  some  years  ago,  this  must  have  taken  place  between  1820  and  1825. 

The  first  raid  affecting  the  white  population  of  the  Sound  was  when  a  crowd 
of  T'Klinkits  (or  in  this  case  probably  some  more  southerly  tribe)  came  to 
Whidby  island  in  1855  and  murdered  Colonel  Ebey,  then  collector  of  customs 
for  the  Puget  Sound  district.  They  not  only  murdered  him,  but  beheaded 
him.  Several  of  his  posterity  are  now  living  and  can  give  full  facts  in  this 
case. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

SEAI/TH   AND  THE   AUvIED   TRIBES 

Sealth,  second  chief  of  the  allied  tribes  in  early  days  and  previously  of  the 
Squamish  and  Duwamish,  was  the  greatest  Indian  character  of  the  country. 
Like  the  historic  chief  of  the  Mingoes,  he  was  a  friend  of  the  white  man  and 
enemies  he  had  none.  A  statesman  and  not  a  warrior  he  swayed  the  minds  of 
his  people  with  the  magic  of  oratory  rather  than  of  war.  Without  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  polyglot  language  common  to  all  the  tribes  and  the  early  white 
men,  he  was  able  by  his  superiority  of  mind  to  mould  the  turbulent  and  war- 
like spirits  about  him  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  to  not  only  control  them  in- 
dividually but  to  unite  them  into  one  grand  peace  union  and  to  ever  after  main- 
tain over  them  against  all  opposition  a  power  as  potent  for  good  as  the  spirit 
and  nature  of  the  one  who  prompted  it.  Many  chiefs  who  had  before  enjoyed 
chiefship  without  hinderance  and  directed  and  controlled  his  people  at  his  own 
sweet  will  yielded  to  the  superior  power  of  Sealth,  acted  his  part  after  the  fed- 
eration only  as  a  lieutenant  or  sub-chief.  Many  old-timers  yet  survive  who 
enjoyed  the  friendship  of  the  old  chief.  Samuel  F.  Coombs,  who  probably  has 
as  intimate  a  knowledge  of  the  early  Indians  as  any  one  living,  says  of  the  old 
chief  Sealth  : 

"  The  first  time  I  ever  saw  Chief  Sealth  was  in  the  summer  of  1860,  shortly 
after  my  arrival,  at  a  council  of  chiefs  in  Seattle.  At  that  time  there  was  an  un- 
usually large  number  of  Indians  in  town,  over  1000  of  them  being  congregated 
on  the  sandy  beach.  Most  of  the  Indians  were  standing  around  talking  in 
groups  or  listening  to  the  deliberations  of  the  council  of  about  twenty  of  the 
oldest  Indians  seated  in  a  circle  on  the  ground.  The  chief  figure  was  a  vener- 
able-looking old  native,  who  was  apparently  acting  as  judge,  as  all  who  spoke 
addressed  themselves  to  him.  Matters  of  grave  importance  were  evidently 
being  discussed,  and  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  calm  and  dignified  man- 
ner in  which  the  old  judge  disposed  of  the  matter  in  dispute  and  the  great  at- 
tention and  respect  shown  him  when  speaking.  From  an  intelligent-looking 
Indian  who  could  speak  English  I  learned  that  the  old  j  udge  was  Chief  Seattle, 
or,  as  he  was  then  known,  Sealth,  and  that  those  seated  about  him  were  ex- 
chiefs  and  leading  Indians  of  the  various  tribes  then  living  about  here. 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES  103 

Among  them  were  Seattle  Curley  from  the  mouth  of  the  Duwamish  ;  Tecutn- 
seh,  from  the  Black  river  ;  Shilshole  Curley,  from  Salmon  bay ;  Lake  John 
from  Lake  Washington,  and  Kitsap,  from  Kitsap  county. 

' '  With  this  young  man  as  an  interpreter  I  interviewed  several  of  the  oldest 
natives  as  to  how  Sealth  became  head  chief  of  so  many  tribes.  They  said  that 
about  fifty  years  before  that  time,  when  Sealth  was  20  or  22  years  old,  news 
reached  the  various  tribes  in  this  vicinity  that  a  large  number  of  the  mountain 
or  upper  Green  and  White  river  Indians  were  preparing  to  make  a  raid  upon 
the  salt  water  tribes.  Great  anxiety  was  felt  among  the  latter,  as  the  moun- 
tain tribes  were  redoubtable  warriors,  and  had  on  several  previous  occasions 
vanquished  the  salt  water  tribes  and  carried  off  many  of  their  people  as  slaves. 
Accordingly  a  council  of  war,  composed  of  the  chiefs  and  leading  warriors  of 
the  tribes  expecting  to  be  attacked,  met  at  the  Old-Man-House  near  Port  Madi- 
son. This  place  was  the  principal  rendesvous  of  these  tribes  for  potlatches 
and  councils.  At  this  council  many  plans  were  discussed  as  to  the  best  method 
of  resisting  the  invaders.  None  of  those  suggested  by  the  older  men,  how- 
ever, was  satisfactory,  and  then  the  younger  men  were  called  upon  for  sugges- 
tions. At  length  young  Sealth,  a  member  of  the  Old- Man-House  tribe,  pre- 
sented his  plan,  and  it  was  so  well  devised  and  so  clearly  presented,  that 
without  listening  to  any  others,  it  was  adopted  and  he  was  appointed  to  carry 
it  out,  being  given  command  of  the  expedition. 

' '  Information  had  reached  the  salt  water  tribes  that  a  large  force  of  the 
mountain  tribes  intended  to  come  down  the  Green  and  White  rivers  in  canoes 
and  inaugurate  their  attack  at  night.  Sealth  organized  a  band  of  warriors,  and 
the  day  before  the  raid  was  expected  they  went  up  the  river  to  a  place  on 
White  river,  near  where  John  Fountain  now  lives  above  Black  river  bridge, 
and  where  the  bluff  on  one  side  reaches  to  the  river  edge.  The  river  here 
makes  a  short  bend,  and  the  current  is  very  swift.  A  little  below  the  bend  a 
large  fir  tree  standing  on  the  bank  was  felled  in  such  a  way  that  it  reached 
across  the  river  and  lay  only  a  few  inches  above  the  water,  so  that  no  canoe 
could  go  under  without  upsetting.  The  work  of  felling  the  tree  was  done  with 
rude  axes,  some  made  of  stone,  and  it  took  the  band  nearly  the  whole  day  to 
bring  it  down  and  get  it  into  position,  which  was  finally  accomplished  before 
sunset.  Sealth  then  ambushed  his  warriors,  armed  with  bows  and  arrows, 
lances,  tomahawks  and  knives,  on  either  side  of  the  stream,  and  confidently 
awaited  the  invaders. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  dusk  five  large  canoes  loaded  with  100  selected  warriors 
started  down  the  stream,  and  as  there  was  a  strong  current  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore they  fell  into  the  trap.  The  leading  canoes  were  successively  swamped  be- 
fore their  occupants  could  realize  the  nature  of  the  obstruction.  The  cries  of 
their  unfortunate  companions,  however,  enabled  those  in  the  last  two  canoes  to 


104  THE    SIWASH 

reach  the  shore  before  coming  to  the  log.  In  the  meantime  thirty  of  the  occu- 
pants of  the  leading  canoes  were  either  drowned,  killed  or  captured  by  Sealth's 
warriors,  and  those  who  reached  shore  in  safety  betook  themselves  up  the  river 
again,  and  their  account  of  the  disaster  which  had  befallen  their  companions 
so  discouraged  the  remainder  of  the  expedition  that  they  retired  to  their  moun- 
tain homes. 

"When  Sealth  and  his  warriors  returned  to  the  bay  with  such  substantial 
proofs  of  the  victory  gained  over  their  former  persecutors  great  was  the  rejoic- 
ing among  the  salt  water  tribes  and  the  hero  of  the  hour  was  the  young  war- 
rior who,  by  his  cleverness,  boldness  and  courage,  had  delivered  them  from  a 
great  danger.  A  grand  council  of  the  tribes  was  called,  composed  of  the  chiefs 
and  leading  warriors  and  medicine  men  from  the  following  six  tribes  :  Old- 
Man-House,  Moxliepush,  Duwamish,  Black  River,  Shilshole  and  Lake,  whose 
chiefs  were  Kitsap,  Seattle  Curley,  Tecumseh,  Salmon  Bay  Curley  and  Lake 
John,  Seattle  Curley  being  chief  of  both  the  Moxliepush  and  the  Duwamish 
tribes.  At  this  council  Sealth  was  made  great  chief  of  all  the  tribes  and  the 
former  chiefs  became  tyees,  or  sub-chiefs.  The  Moxliepush,  Black  River  and 
Lake  tribes,  however,  did  not  consent  to  a  consolidation  and  Sealth,  having 
assumed  the  authority  conferred  upon  him  by  the  majority,  determined  to 
make  his  authority  respected  by  all.  He  organized  an  expedition  composed  of 
the  bravest  of  his  followers  and  made  a  tour  of  the  three  rebellious  tribes, 
going  by  way  of  Shilshole  and  Salmon  bays,  Lake  Union  and  across  the  port- 
age to  Lake  Washington  and  thence  to  Black  river  and  back  to  Old-Man- 
House.  Though  prepared  to  give  battle  if  necessary  he  subdued  his  oppo- 
nents by  diplomacy.  He  held  councils  at  various  places  on  his  route,  made 
speeches  to  the  tribesmen  and  won  them  over  from  their  chiefs,  and  when  they 
had  submitted  he  took  a  number  of  hostages  from  each  tribe  along  with  him. 
In  this  way  he  gained  the  submission  of  all  the  rebellious  chiefs  and  tribesmen 
without  fighting  a  battle  or  killing  a  man.  When  the  first  white  man  came 
here  Chief  Sealth  had  quite  a  number  of  these  hostages,  who  were  called  slaves 
by  the  other  Indians,  but  who  were  not  treated  any  differently,  so  far  as  the 
whites  could  observe,  than  the  other  Indians.  Indeed,  many  of  these  so  called 
slaves  afterwards  became  Chief  Sealth's  principal  lieutenants. 

' '  After  Chief  Sealth  had  consolidated  the  tribes  and  enforced  his  right  to  the 
chieftainship,  he  still  further  strengthened  his  influence  over  the  tribes  by 
checking  other  raids  by  unfriendly  tribes  from  the  north  and  south,  and  con- 
cluded treaties  of  friendship  with  them.  He  even  carried  his  wise  rule  so  far 
as  to  anticipate  the  formation  of  the  Chinook  language  by  the  Hudsons  Bay 
traders  by  so  adapting  the  several  distinct  dialects  then  prevailing  amongst  the 
different  tribes  scattered  over  a  large  area,  that  at  length  they  could  converse 
with  one  another,  where  before  they  could  not.  Thus  he  brought  about  the 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES  105 

formation  of  a  language  common  to  all  the  tribes  from  the  Snohomish  and  Sno- 
qualmie  as  far  south  and  west  as  Olyrnpia. 

' '  By  his  great  exploits  in  war,  his  wisdom  and  prudence  in  council,  and  the 
nobility  of  his  character,  Chief  Sealth  obtained  a  wonderful  influence  over  all 
the  natives  in  this  section,  whether  belonging  to  his  tribes  or  to  others.  And 
thus  it  was  that,  when  I  first  saw  him,  his  deep  voice,  slow  and  grave  speech 
were  listened  to  with  such  marked  deference  and  respect  by  all.  He  was  the 
supreme  arbiter  in  their  disputes,  and  his  decisions  were  accepted  as  final  and 
conclusive  and  carried  out  with  unquestioning  obedience.  Having  early  been 
converted  to  the  Catholic  faith,  he  introduced  and  successfully  carried  out 
many  moral  reforms  among  his  people.  He  reprimanded  them  often  for  drunk- 
enness, fighting  and  their  loose  sexual  relations  with  the  whites.  He  was  a 
great  peacemaker  and  always  avoided  bloodshed  whenever  possible.  He  even 
undertook  to  subvert  the  ancient  traditional  customs  of  his  race  in  regard  to 
bloody  retaliation  for  mortal  wrongs,  and  to  inculcate  among  his  people  Christ- 
ian principles. 

' '  Though  a  man  of  great  natural  abilities,  Chief  Sealth  never  learned  either 
the  Chinook  or  the  English  languages  ;  nor  did  any  of  the  older  Indians  whom 
I  knew.  An  interpreter  was  always  necessary  whenever  any  of  the  whites 
wished  to  converse  with  him.  In  appearance  he  was  dignified,  but  somewhat 
bent  with  age  when  I  knew  him,  and  at  that  time  he  always  walked  with  a 
staff  in  his  hand.  He  looked  like  a  superior  man  among  his  people.  Though 
the  top  of  his  head  had  been  flattened  in  childhood,  the  malformation  was  not 
so  apparent  as  it  was  in  all  the  other  old  Indians  of  his  day.  During  the  sum- 
mer months  and  when  I  first  saw  him  he  wore  but  a  single  garment.  That  was 
a  Hudsons  Bay  company's  blanket,  the  folds  of  which  he  held  together  with 
one  hand,  and  from  their  midst  appeared  the  broad  chest  and  strong  arm  of 
bronze  which  grasped  his  staff.  The  sketch  herewith  represented  the  old  chief 
as  he  appeared  on  the  streets  of  Seattle  thirty-four  years  ago. 

' '  The  later  years  of  Chief  Sealth  were  passed  at  his  headquarters  at  the  Old- 
Man-House  in  Kitsap  county,  near  Port  Madison,  and  in  visiting  the  tribes, 
administering  justice,  reproof  and  counsel  to  his  devoted  people.  He  was 
often  in  Seattle,  where  he  was  respected  by  all  the  white  people.  The  Old- 
Man-House,  where  he  resided  was  a  famous  gathering  place  for  the  natives 
from  all  over  the  Sound,  and  some  of  the  potlatches  held  there  have  been  at- 
tended by  as  many  as  8,000  Indians.  I  saw  one  there  at  which  there  was 
fully  1,500  present. 

"  After  a  long  illness,  during  which  the  old  chief  was  frequently  visited  by 
natives  and  early  white  settlers  from  all  over  the  Sound,  he  died  at  the  Old- 
Man-House.  His  funeral  was  attended  by  several  hundred  white  people  and 
by  more  of  his  own  people.  G.  A.  Meigs,  proprietor  of  the  Port  Madison 


106  THE    SIWASH 

mill,  shut  down  his  mill  and  on  his  steamer  took  all  the  employes  and  others 
over  to  the  funeral.  A  great  many  also  went  over  from  Seattle.  As  the  old 
chief  was  a  Catholic  he  was  buried  with  the  ceremonies  of  that  church, 
mingled  with  which  were  customs  peculiar  to  the  natives.  The  ceremonies 
were  imposing  and  impressive,  and  the  chanting  of  the  litanies  by  the  native 
singers  was  very  beautiful. 

"  During  his  life  Chief  Sealth  had  two  or  three  successive  wives,  but  he 
did  not  have  many  children. 

"  Princess  Angeline  was  his  only  child  by  his  first  wife.  When  I  first  knew 
her  she  was  a  washerwoman  for  the  white  people,  among  whom  she  was  a  great 
favorite,  and  although  she  was  a  buxom  widow  and  not  bad-looking,  she  was 
always  esteemed  as  a  virtuous,  good  woman,  She  had  a  daughter  who  mar- 
ried a  half-breed,  and  by  whom  she  had  a  son,  now  living,  named  Joe  Foster. 
His  parents  died  early  and  old  Angeline  has  reared  him,  slaved  for  him  and 
begged  for  him.  She  has  gotten  him  out  of  many  scrapes  and  her  whole  heart 
is  wrapped  up  in  the  boy,  '  My  papa's  great-grandchild.' 

"  Angeline  had  a  half-sister  who  married  a  chief  on  Lake  Samamish  and 
died  some  time  ago,  but  I  don't  know  any  more  about  her.  I  think  Chief 
Sealth  also  left  by  his  last  wife  a  son,  who  is  now  living  at  Old-Man-House. 
This  son  has  a  grandson  there  who  is  a  dwarf.  He  is  20  years  old  and  is 
only  thirty  inches  tall,  is  very  bright,  well  formed,  talks  English  and  is  the  pet 
of  all  the  Indians  on  the  reservation. 

"  During  the  past  thirty-three  years  I  have  on  many  occasions  endeavored 
to  learn  from  the  oldest  and  most  intelligent  Indians  something  of  their  earlier 
recollections  ;  for  instance  as  to  when  the  heaviest  earthquake  occurred.  They 
said  that  one  is  said  to  have  occurred  a  great  many  years  before  any  white  men 
had  ever  been  seen  here,  when  mam-ook  ta-mahn-a-wis  was  carried  on  by  hun- 
dreds. This  is  the  same  performance  they  go  through  when  they  are  making 
medicine  men,  and  consists  of  shouting,  singing,  beating  on  the  drums  and 
sticks  and  apparently  trying  to  make  as  much  noise  as  they  can.  While  mak- 
ing a  medicine  man  I  have  seen  upwards  of  100  painted  Indians  driving  on  the 
streets  here  a  young  man  stripped  nearly  naked,  with  a  long  lariat  fastened  to 
a  girdle  around  his  waist.  At  one  time  it  took  them  over  a  week  to  make  a 
ta-mahn-a-wis  man  of  the  fellow  they  were  driving.  After  he  became  super- 
naturally  fixed  he  came  near  dying,  and  old  Dr.  Maynard,  the  only  physician 
then  in  town,  was  called  in  to  give  him  a  dose  of  civilized  medicine. 

"  The  only  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  visible  here  during  the  past  thirty-four 
years  occurred  about  twenty-five  years  ago  during  a  clear  afternoon.  The  white 
settlers  were  preparing  their  smoked  glasses.  Ex-Chief  Lake  John  happened 
to  come  by  about  that  time,  and  I  told  him  in  Chinook  that  the  sun  was  to  be 
darkened  in  about  an  hour  from  that  time.  He  very  sharply  inquired  how  I 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES  107 

knew,  and  I  told  him  I  was  in  klosh  turn-turn  with  the  Sah-ha-le  tyee,  or  that 
I  was  on  good  terms  with  God.  He  laughed  heartily  at  such  a  ridiculous 
notion,  but  when  the  sun  began  to  be  obscured  I  handed  him  a  piece  of  smoked 
glass,  and  after  looking  through  it  he  became  very  grave,  and  looking  at  the 
sky  in  amazement  he  said  with  great  seriousness,  '  De-late  mi-ka  cum-tux,' 
you  have  told  the  truth.  When  the  eclipse  became  total  the  howling  and 
pounding  of  drums  over  at  Plummer's  point,  where  the  Indians  were  assembled, 
could  be  heard  all  over  town. 

"  In  1880,  when  the  deep  snow  occurred  in  January,  there  being  over  four 
feet  of  the  beautiful,  I  inquired  of  an  old  Indian  if  he  had  ever  seen  snow  so 
deep  before,  and  he  said  no,  but  that  his  father  had  told  him  that  there  was 
one  fall  of  snow  many  years  before  which  was  equal  to  it.  L/ake  Union  has 
been  frozen  all  over  twice,  and  a  number  of  times  has  formed  two  to  five  inches 
thick  in  sheltered  places  of  the  lake.  Only  twice  since  1856  has  it  been  as  cold 
as  it  was  this  winter. 

"A  son  of  Pat  Kanim,  the  old  chief  of  the  Snoqualmies,  who  now  lives  on 
the  Tulalip  reservation,  told  me  that  his  father  had  been  a  good,  true  friend  of 
the  whites  during  the  Indian  war,  and  he  corroborated  what  A.  A.  Denny  has 
said  in  his  history  of  that  war.  He  said  that  Mr.  Denny  had  with  good  rea- 
son placed  confidence  in  his  father,  notwithstanding  that  others  thought  he 
was  not  worthy  of  it.  He  said  that  Leschi  and  Nelson  were  the  leaders  in  the 
massacre  near  Slaughter,  where  eight  whites  were  killed  in  1855.  These  were 
the  same  tribes  that  had  attempted  the  raid  fifty  years  before  which  Chief 
Sealth  foiled,  and  the  same  which  attacked  the  town  of  Seattle  in  1856.  This 
time  they  came  across  L/ake  Washington  instead  of  down  the  river,  landing 
their  canoes  where  is  now  located  L,eschipark.  They  had  not  forgotten  Seatth's 
plan  of  resisting  an  invasion  by  the  river  route." 

To  Dr.  Maynard  it  is  said  belongs  the  honor  of  naming  the  city  of  Seattle 
after  the  old  chief  and  also  of  conferring  the  name  Angeline  on  his  daughter. 

There  is  one  descendant  of  the  old  chief  who  is  at  once  the  pride  and  the 
one  particular  character  of  the  Queen  City  today.  That  descendant  is  Ange- 
line, daughter  of  the  old  chief;  Princess  Angeline  she  is  called.  She  is  not 
courtly  or  noble  in  bearing  and  never  showed  any  superior  powers  of  intellect, 
indeed,  it  is  not  saying  too  much  to  say  that  to  the  present  residents  who  know 
her  she  does  not  exhibit  even  average  Indian  intelligence,  though  great  and 
enfeebled  old  age  may  in  a  measure  account  for  it.  Angeline  had  a  revelation 
last  year  when  she  was  shown  a  painting  of  the  old  chief,  life  size  and  true  to 
the  original.  It  is  said  of  her  that  at  least  she  showed  that  she  had  a  tender 
memory  and  soft  heart,  for  she  cried  and  went  about  the  streets  muttering  in 
her  Indian  way  :  ' '  Utch-i-dah,  utch-i-dah  ;  nika  papa  hias  klosh. ' '  Wonderful  ! 
wonderful  !  good  picture  of  Sealth. 


108  THE    SIWASH 

Poor  old  Angeline.  Bent,  decrepit  and  carrying  the  weight  of  80  years  with 
an  effort,  she  still  possessed  a  heart  full  of  tenderness  that  could  only  find 
relief  in  a  flood  of  tears. 

I^ong,  long  ago  it  had  been  that  old  Angeline  saw  the  royal  old  chieftain, 
her  father,  for  the  last  time.  Only  in  her  Indian  memory  had  she  communed 
with  him  who  was  once  lord  of  all  around  in  the  neighborhood  of  Elliott  bay. 
But  now  she  stood  face  to  face  once  more  and  looked  into  the  kindly  face  of  the 
old  chief,  who  has  been  dead  these  many  years.  It  was  Chief  Sealth,  life  size, 
as  he  appeared  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago,  with  his  big,  blue-bordered  Hud- 
sons  Bay  company  blanket  hanging  in  Grecian  folds  from  his  dusky  shoulders. 
No  wonder  poor  old  Angeline  cried  and  sobbed  and  broke  down  in  the  rush  of 
tender  recollections  that  must  have  filled  her  old  soul.  No  wonder  she  ex- 
claimed :  "  Utch-i-dah  !  utch-i-dah  !  nika  papa  hias  klosh." 

It  was  her  old-time  friend  Samuel  Coombs,  the  pioneer,  who  took  old  Ange- 
line to  see  the  picture  of  the  old  chief,  painted  by  Mr.  Coombs'  son  Raphael  for  the 
chamber  of  commerce  of  this  city.  Angeline,  the  last  survivor  of  the  old 
chief's  family,  did  not  know  what  was  wanted  of  her,  but  she  knew  that  her 
old  friend  meant  her  no  harm  and  she  trudged  along,  muttering  in  her  peculiar 
guttural  Indian  dialect  until  she  came  plunk  upon  the  big  painting.  It  shows 
the  old  chief  as  he  first  appeared  to  the  whites  about  40  years  ago,  standing 
erect  with  a  big  shock  of  raven  hair,  a  broad  face,  kindly  eye  and  the  picture 
of  a  perfect  Indian,  showing  in  a  marked  degree  the  great  intelligence  the  old 
chief  is  known  to  have  possessed.  He  is  as  nature  found  him,  bereft  of  ornament 
save  the  big  gray  blanket  with  its  broad  border  of  blue  about  his  shoulders. 

Angeline' s  judgment  ought  to  be  taken  as  to  the  merits  of  the  picture.  She 
pronounces  it  good,  very  good,  and  it  will  probably  become  the  one  great 
memento  of  the  now  vanished  royal  rule  that  prevailed  over  the  woods  and 
bays  and  tribes  hereabouts  before  the  white  man  came  and  took  possession. 
In  the  perspective  of  the  picture  are  the  snowy  lines  of  the  grand  Olympic 
mountains,  looking  very  pretty  and  true  to  reality.  Angeline  leaned  against 
the  counter  and  cried  till  her  Indian  tears  fell  thick  and  fast.  "  Nika  papa 
hias  klosh,"  she  muttered  as  she  turned  away  towards  the  door  and  then 
trudged  off  down  the  street,  but  not  for  long.  She  trudged  back  for  another 
look  and  many  times  during  the  afternoon  she  passed  and  repassed  the  window, 
muttering  that  it  was  good,  and  peeking  through  the  big  plate  windows,  for 
the  picture  had  been  set  therein  for  the  passerby  to  look  at.  Young  Coombs' 
picture  is  from  a  photograph  of  the  old  chief  furnished  by  the  old  pioneer, 
Hon.  A.  A.  Deflny,  taken  years  ago. 

To  the  older  settlers  Angeline' s  name  was  given  by  some  of  the  Indians  as 
Wee-wy-eke  and  by  herself  as  Kakii-Silma  ;  very  pretty  names  both  of  them. 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES  109 

A  daughter  of  Angeline,  known  to  the  whites  by  the  unpretentious  name  of 
Betsey,  had  the  prettily  sounding  Indian  name  of  Che-wa-tum. 

There  is  another  little  painting  by  young  Coombs,  just  as  full  of  interest  as 
that  of  the  old  chief.  It  is  a  reproduction  in  oil  of  the  old  log  cabin,  the  first 
log  cabin  built  by  the  white  settlers  forty  or  more  years  ago,  on  Alki  point. 
The  picture  is  from  a  sketch  taken  a  dozen  years  ago  while  yet  the  old  log  hut 
was  in  a  state  of  preservation  and  it  is  said  to  be  a  very  realistic  likeness.  The 
picture  is  now  the  property  of  Mr.  Denny  and  he  treasures  it  as  one  of  his 
most  valued  mementoes. 

In  his  little  book,  "  Pioneer  Days  on  Puget  Sound,"  Mr.  Denny,  speaking 
of  the  first  log  house  says  : 

' '  Our  first  work  was  to  provide  shelter  for  the  winter,  and  we  finished 
the  house  begun  by  brother  and  Lee  Terry  for  J.  N.  Low,  and  took  shelter  in 
it  from  the  rain,  which  was  falling  more  or  less  every  day  ;  but  we  did  not 
regard  it  with  much  concern  and  seldom  lost  any  time  on  that  account.  We 
next  built  a  log  house  for  myself,  which  increased  our  room  very  materially 
and  made  all  more  comfortable.  We  had  now  used  up  all  the  timber  suitable 
for  log  houses,  which  we  could  get  without  a  team,  and  we  split  cedar  and 
built  houses  for  Bell  and  Boren,  which  we  considered  quite  a  fancy,  but  not  so 
substantial  as  log  houses.  About  the  time  we  had  completed  our  winter  quar- 
ters, the  brig  Leonesa,  Captain  Daniel  S.  Howard,  came  to  anchor  in  the  bay. 
Seeing  that  the  place  was  inhabited  by  whites,  the  captain  came  ashore  seeking 
a  cargo  of  piles,  and  we  readily  made  a  contract  to  load  the  vessel.  We  had 
no  team  at  the  time,  but  some  of  us  went  to  work  cutting  the  timber  nearest 
the  water,  and  rolled  and  hauled  in  by  hand,  while  Lee  Terry  went  up  Sound 
and  obtained  a  yoke  of  oxen,  which  he  drove  on  the  beach  from  Puyallup  with 
which  to  complete  the  cargo,  but  we  had  made  very  considerable  progress  by 
hand  before  his  arrival. 

' '  Alki  point  had  not  been  a  general  camping  place  for  the  Indians,  but  soon 
after  we  landed  and  commenced  clearing  the  land,  they  commenced  to  congre- 
gate and  continued  coming  until  we  had  over  1,000  in  our  midst  and  most  of 
them  remained  all  winter.  Some  of  them  built  their  houses  very  near  ours, 
even  on  the  ground  we  had  cleared,  and  although  they  seemed  very  friendly 
towards  us,  we  did  not  feel  safe  in  objecting  to  their  building,  and  it  was  very 
noticeable  that  they  regarded  their  proximity  to  us  as  a  protection  against 
other  Indians." 

Little  more  than  one  generation  ago,  at  a  date  which  would  extend  quite 
beyond  the  date  birth  of  very  many  people  in  Seattle,  there  was  assembled  on 
the  neck  oi  land  known  as  Elliott  point,  Alki  point,  Duwamish  head  and  West 
Seattle,  or  as  the  Indians  called  it  Squ-ducks,  a  large  band  of  Indians  and  a 
great  pow  wow  was  going  on. 


110 


THE    SIWASH 


One  thousand  natives  of  the  Duwamish  and  other  tribes  with  a  few  strag- 
glers from  distant  local  tribes  were  assembled  and  sat  about  their  smouldering 
fires,  lounged  lazily  in  brown-colored  canoes  or  were  snoring  under  rakish  tents 
much  as  the  Indians  of  today  do  about  Ballast  island  or  the  hop  fields. 

All  was  excitement. 

History  records  the  fact  that  the  day  was  a  beautiful  one,  a  brilliant  sun 
shedding  a  brilliant  light  over  a  most  primeval  and  rural  scene. 

Over  all  this  vast  congregation  of  God's  simple-minded  children  there  ruled 


OLDEST   HOUSE   IN   KING   COUNTY — J.    W.    MAPLE'g,    WHITE   RIVER 

a  chief — old  Chief  Sealth — then  a  patriarch,  aged,  yet  stately  and  dignified ; 
an  Indian  simple  and  untutored,  though  yet  an  orator  of  the  highest  rank. 

Old  Chief  Sealth,  a  name  honored  and  revered  even  at  that  early  day ;  a 
name  since  become  historic  and  wreathed  with  an  enduring,  undying  fame. 

It  was  at  a  day  when  the  flames  of  Indian  warfare  were  beginning  to  smoul- 
der after  a  long  seige  of  war,  of  ambush  and  bloodshed  on  Puget  Sound,  though 
the  old  patriarch  of  the  forest,  Chief  Sealth,  had  refrained  from  lending  a  hand 
in  the  bloody  work  of  his  tribal  relations  and  neighbors.  He,  like  many  of 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES  111 

the  proud  chieftains  in  the  earlier  settlement  of  the  Atlantic  and  middle  states, 
stood  by  the  white  men — the  invaders  we  might  say — when  their  brethren  wore 
the  war  paint  and  carried  the  scalp-lock  at  their  girdle. 

On  this  historic  day  old  Sealth  sat  gloomily  down  in  front  of  his  wigwam 
waiting  in  stolid  indifference  for  the  coming  of  the  Boston  man,  who  was  to 
treat  with  him  that  day  and  bring  him  news  from  the  great  white  chief  at 
Washington. 

At  last  the  great  white  chief's  agent,  Colonel  M.  T.  Simmons,  made  his  ap- 
pearance, coming  from  the  direction  of  Olympia,  and  landed  in  front  of  the 
staid  old  Siwash  chiefs  camp.  The  ceremony  of  an  introduction  was  gone 
through  with  in  the  Chinook  jargon,  Colonel  Simmons  being  a  master  in  that 
tongue,  and  being  an  emissary  of  the  government  of  much  repute  among  the 
Indians. 

We  can  imagine  the  old  chief  receiving  in  his  dignified,  though  simple  style, 
this  messenger  from  the  government.  We  of  today  might  clothe  our  imagina- 
tion with  the  vision  of  Princess  Angeline,  the  old  chiefs  daughter,  then  a 
maiden  of  comely,  though  dusky,  looks,  standing  respectfully  near  and  listen- 
ing, possibly  in  eagerness,  to  this  bartering  away  of  her  father's  domain — her 
own  heritage — to  the  stranger. 

Princess  Angeline  now  broken  and  enfeebled  by  40  years  of  care  and  bitter 
memories,  yet  lives  by  that  same  seaside  and  almost  within  sight  of  the  identi- 
cal spot  whereon  that  great  pow  wow  was  held.  Well  for  poor  old  Angeline 
that  her  sensibilities  are  stunted  and  seared,  that  time  has  graciously  smoth- 
ered any  remembrance  of  those  days  of  freedom,  when  none  but  her  people 
and  kindred  owned  and  traversed  these  woods  and  waters. 

But  to  the  story. 

Colonel  Simmons  had  left  Olympia  on  the  I5th  day  of  May,  1858,  to  visit 
the  several  Indian  tribes  on  Puget  Sound  and  conclude  the  treaties  with  them 
and  arrange  for  the  disbursement  of  annuities  and  provisions.  The  commis- 
sioner had  first  called  at  Fort  Kitsap,  G.  A.  Page  local  agent,  where  some  400 
Indians  waited  for  him.  Colonel  Simmons,  after  the  preliminaries  necessary  for 
such  an  august  occasion,  was  the  first  to  address  the  assemblage  of  chiefs  and 
Indians.  His  speech  was  in  Chinook  and  no  interpreter  was  needed.  He 
referred  to  the  promises  that  had  been  made  and  which  were  about  to  be  real- 
ized, and  wound  up  with  the  reference  at  the  close  of  his  speech  to  the  pro- 
pensities of  the  Indian  for  rum  and  the  evil  effects  therefrom. 

The  venerable  old  chief  being  first  in  authority  among  the  assembled  red 
men,  was  the  first  to  speak.  With  the  dignity  becoming  the  occasion  and  the 
position  of  a  great  chief,  he  arose,  wrapped  his  heavy  blanket  more  closely 
about  his  shoulders,  and  began  his  address.  The  reference  of  Colonel  Simmons 
to  the  Indian  thirst  for  strong  drink  touched  the  old  man's  quick,  though  he 


112  THE    SIWASH 

did  not  show  it  by  any  outward  sign  or  expression  of  feature.  No,  old  Chief 
Sealth  was  too  august,  too  grand  for  that.  Colonel  Simmons  would  learn  of 
his  displeasure,  but  in  a  manner  and  with  weapons  of  his  own  choice.  Sealth 
would  show  that  he  was  an  orator.  Translated,  he  said  : 

' '  I  am  not  a  bad  man  ;  I  want  you  to  understand  what  I  say  ;  I  do  not 
drink  rum  ;  neither  does  New-E-Chis,  (another  chief  present)  and  we  continu- 
ally advise  our  people  not  to  do  so. 

"  I  am  and  always  have  been  a  friend  to  the  whites.  I  listen  to  what  Mr. 
Page  (the  resident  agent)  says  to  me,  and  I  do  not  steal  nor  do  any  of  my  peo- 
ple steal  from  the  whites. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Simmons,  why  do  not  our  papers  come  back  to  us  ?  You  always 
say  they  will  come  back,  but  they  do  not  come.  I  fear  that  we  are  forgotten 
or  that  we  are  to  be  cheated  out  of  our  land. 

' '  I  have  been  very  poor  and  hungry  all  winter  and  am  very  sick  now.  In  a 
little  while  I  will  die.  I  should  like  to  be  paid  for  my  lands  before  I  die. 
Many  of  my  people  died  during  the  cold  winter  without  getting  their  pay. 
When  I  die  my  people  will  be  very  poor — they  will  have  no  property,  no  chief 
and  no  one  to  talk  for  them.  You  must  not  forget  them,  Mr.  Simmons,  when 
I  am  gone. 

"  We  are  ashamed  when  we  think  of  the  Puyallups,  as  they  have  now  got 
their  papers.  They  fought  against  the  whites  whilst  we,  who  have  never  been 
angry  with  them,  get  nothing.  When  we  get  our  pay  we  want  it  in  money. 
The  Indians  are  not  bad.  It  is  the  mean  white  men  that  are  bad  to  them.  If 
any  person  writes  that  we  do  not  want  our  papers  they  tell  lies. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Simmons ;  you  see  I  am  sick,  I  want  you  to  write  quickly  to  the 
great  chief  what  I  say.  I  am  done." 

Then  the  old  chief  retired.  Calm  his  mein,  unruffled  his  spirits,  dignified 
his  tirade,  though  age  had  bent  his  stately  bearing,  for  old  Chief  Sealth  had 
even  then — long  before  that  day  when  he  arose  to  call  in  question  the  integrity 
of  a  great  nation  which  had  promised  to  pay  him  for  his  birthright  and  had 
not  done  so — passed  the  milestones  on  life's  great  highway,  when  man's  and 
Indian's,  too,  allotted  days  of  labor  are  over. 

It  was  the  same  old  story.  The  dominion  of  the  untutored  child  of  the 
forest  had  been  usurped  by  the  ruthless  hand  of  civilization  and  the  Indian  life 
had  been  crushed  out. 

It  had  followed  the  red  man  from  the  bleak  New  England  shore  to  a  last 
great  stand  on  the  borders  of  the  western  sea.  Chief  Sealth,  like  Powanto- 
nimo,  Red  Jacket,  Black  Hawk,  Tecumseh  and  all  the  great  line  of  chiefs  of 
the  American  red  man,  had  given  up  their  ancestral  possessions  to  the  pale 
faces  and  was  ready  to  die  of  a  broken  heart. 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day   (May   15)   Simmons  and  party  reached 


DUKE    OF    YORK 


SEALTH    AND    THE    ALLIED    TRIBES 


113 


Skagit  Head,  under  Captain  R.  C.  Fay,  where  some  800  Indians  of  the  tribes 
of  Skagits,  Snohomish,  Snoqualmies  and  others  were  assembled.  He  made 
about  the  same  speech  to  them  as  at  Fort  Kitsap,  when  Hetty  Kannim,  a  sub- 
chief,  answered  him  as  follows  : 

' '  I  am  but  a  sub-chief,  but  I  am  chosen  for  my  people  to  speak  for  them 
today.  I  will  speak  what  I  think  and  I  want  any  of  the  drinking  Indians  to 
contradict  me  if  they  can.  Liquor  is  killing  our  people  off  fast.  Our  young 
men  spend  their  money  and  their  work  for  it.  Then  they  get  angry  and  kill 
each  other  and  sometimes  kill  their  wives  and  children .  We  old  men  do  not 
drink  and  we  beg  our  boys  to  not  trade  with  cultus  (bad)  Boston  men  for 
liquor.  We  have  all  agreed  to  tell  our  agent  when  any  liquor  boats  are  about 


EAST   INDIAN    CARVING,  FIGUREHEAD   BARK   ENTERPRISE 

and  help  to  arrest  the  man  who  sells  it.  I  will  now  talk  about  our  treaties. 
When  is  the  Great  Father  who  lives  across  the  mountains  going  to  send  us  our 
papers  back  ?  Four  summers  have  passed  since  you  and  Governor  Stevens  told 
us  we  would  get  our  pay  for  lands.  We  remember  well  what  you  said  to  us 
over  there  (pointing  to  Elliott  bay)  and  our  hearts  are  very  sick  because  you  did 
not  do  as  you  promised.  We  saw  the  Puyallups  and  the  Nisquallys  get  their 
annual  pay  and  our  hearts  were  sick  because  we  could  get  nothing.  We  never 
fought  with  the  whites.  We  considered  it  good  to  have  good  white  people 
among  us.  Our  young  women  can  gather  berries  and  clams  and  our  young 
men  can  fish  and  hunt  and  sell  what  they  get  to  the  whites.  We  are  willing 
that  the  whites  shall  take  the  timber,  but  we  want  the  game  and  the  fish  and 
we  want  our  homes,  where  there  is  plenty  of  game  and  fish  and  good  lands 


114 


THE    SIWASH 


for  potatoes.  We  want  our  Great  Father  to  know  what  our  hearts  are  and  we 
want  you  to  send  our  talk  to  him  at  once.  I  have  done." 

•'  Hiram,"  a  Snoqualmie  then  spoke  : 

"  We  want  our  treaty  to  be  concluded  as  soon  as  possible.  We  are  tired  of 
waiting.  Our  reason  is  that  our  old  people,  and  there  are  many  of  them,  are 
dying.  Look  at  those  old  men  and  women  ;  they  have  only  a  little  while 
'  to  live  and  they  want  to  get  their  pay  for  their  lands.  The  white  people  have 
taken  it  and  you,  Mr.  Simmons,  promised  us  we  should  be  paid,  you  and 
Governor  Stevens.  Suspense  is  killing  us. 

"  We  are  afraid  to  plant  potatoes  on  the  river  bottom,  lest  some  bad  white 
man  shall  come  and  make  us  leave.  You  know  what  we  are  Mr.  Simmons. 
You  was  the  first  American  we  ever  knew  and  our  children  will  remember  you 
as  long  as  they  remember  anything.  I  was  but  a  boy  when  I  first  knew  you. 


CANOE   HEAD   TOTEM,  SKOKOMISH 

You  know  we  do  not  want  to  drink  liquor,  but  we  cannot  help  it  when  the  bad 
Boston  man  brings  it  to  us  and  urges  us  to  drink.  When  our  treaties  were 
made  we  told  our  hearts  to  you  and  Governor  Stevens  and  they  have  not 
changed  since.  I  have  done." 

"  Bonaparte,"  a  Snohomish  chief,  then  spoke  as  follows  : 
"  What  I  have  to  say  is  not  of  much  consequence.  My  children  have  all 
been  killed  by  rum,  and  I  am  very  poor.  I  believe  what  Mr.  Simmons  tells 
about  our  treaty,  but  most  Indians  think  he  lies.  My  heart  is  not  asleep.  I 
have  known  Mr.  Simmons  a  long  time  and  he  never  lied  to  me,  and  I  think  he 
will  tell  the  Great  Father  that  we  want  to  get  our  pay.  I  have  done." 

The  Indians  at  Point  no  Point  were  then  seen  and  many  speeches  of  a  like 
character  were  made  and  then  the  party  returned  to  Olympia. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


THE  MAKAH  TRIBE; 

In  the  extreme  northwestern  portion  of  the  United  States  outside  of  Alaska, 
around  and  about  the  base  of  that  sightly  headland  Cape  Flattery,  where  it  has 
been  said  in  a  spirit  of  half  jest,  but  worth  taking  most  seriously,  that  never  a 
day  in  the  year  passes  without  rain,  dwells  a  small  nation  of  men  and  women 
who  will  go  down  in  history,  in  song  and  story  perhaps,  as  a  happy,  contented 
people  ;  a  people  doubly  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  a  unique  territory 
abounding  with  fruits  of  land  and  sea.  Back  of  them  are  the  mountains,  their 
front  door  yard  the  rollicking,  boundless  expanse  of  frothy  ocean;  fish  in  the 
one,  fowl  and  meat  in  the  other.  Under  their  feet  are  the  white  sands  of  the 
ocean  beach,  and  over  them  seems  continually  to  watch  a  most  magnanimous 
providence.  These  people  are  the  Makah  Indians,  robust,  ruddy,  big  brothers 
and  big  sisters,  whose  other  branch  of  the  family  undoubtedly  exists  on  the 
further  side  of  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  so  much  do  the  general  character- 
istics of  the  one  with  the  other  seem  to  run  together. 

The  Makah  Indians  are  many  generations  advanced  in  civilization  to  that  of 
some  of  the  Sound  tribes.  Why  this  is  so  is  —  because  it  is  so.  They  have 
enjoyed  no  greater  privileges  than  other  tribes.  They  are  in  fact  further  re- 
moved than  most  tribes  from  civilizing  influences  that  have  prevailed  in  the  last 
generation.  Perchance  in  this  very  fact  lies  their  present  condition.  Associa- 
tion with  whites  generally  brings  the  worst  of  moral  results  for  the  Indians 
whenever  the  Indian  is  permitted  to  be  his  own  or  his  brother's  keeper  to  any 
great  extent.  He  readily  succumbs  to  the  vices  of  the  white  man,  but  removed 
from  these  associations  for  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  under  the  guidance  of 
a  conscientious  agent,  the  Indian  should  advance  morally  and  mentally.  The 
infusion  of  a  great  deal  of  white  blood  into  the  tribe  of  the  Makah  (  for  some 
of  the  earliest  settlers  went  to  the  Straits  to  settle)  has  had  a  good  effect. 
At  present  the  leading  men  are  largely  half-breeds  who  have  been  to  school  and 
look  very  intelligent  fellows.  They  are  lively  and  smart  in  business.  They 
know  how  to  hunt  and  they  know  how  to  fish  as  no  other  Washington  tribe 
does.  In  fact,  since  the  issuance  of  the  decree  of  pelagic  sealing  the  Indian 


116  THE    SIWASH 

seal  hunters  of  Neah  Bay  carry  the  palm  of  greatest  success  in  that  line.  They 
own  schooners  but  they  are  not  sailors.  Somehow  the  proprietorship  of  several 
well  known  sealing  vessels  has  come  to  them  without  any  effort  on  their  part; 
it  was  something  of  a  parental  care  on  the  part  of  a  thoughtful  government, 
and  although  the  average  Indian  found  on  board  does  not  know  a  rat  line  from 
a  marlin  spike  they  go  to  sea  nevertheless,  are  blown  out  and  blown  in  and  al- 
ways bring  home  seals.  When  off  on  long  voyages  they  are  usually  accompan- 
ied by  white  men  with  more  or  less  knowledge  of  sealing  and  navigation  and 
are  not  so  much  at  the  mercy  of  their  own  ignorance  of  those  things.  When  it 
comes  down  to  hunting  seal  or  fishing  off  the  coast  within  sight  of  land,  the 
Makah  asks  nothing  better  than  his  stout,  roomy  cedar  canoe.  He  will  chase 
a  whale  too,  as  quickly  as  he  will  a  seal.  They  are  great  sea  rovers,  are  the 
buccaneers  of  the  northwest,  and  will  start  off  on  a  three  hundred  mile  voyage 
in  light  canoes,  down  the  coast  or  up  the  Straits  and  Sound,  with  no  more  ser- 
ious consideration  than  if  they  were  going  only  as  far  as  the  nearest  bight  or 
inlet.  They  are  a  whole  community  of  fishermen,  industrious  but  not  frugal. 
Without  money  they  are  contented,  with  money  the  reverse.  An  Indian  knows 
nothing  of  the  value  of  money  beyond  the  spending  of  it.  The  first  thing  the 
Indians  do  after  a  successful  sealing  voyage  or  a  trip  to  the  hop  fields  where 
men,  women  and  children  unite  in  gathering  the  hops,  is  to  repair  to  the  cities 
and  larger  towns  on  the  Sound  and  expend  the  proceeds  in  a  thousand  and  one 
gaudy  and  useless  articles  that  please  the  passing  fancy  of  the  native.  They 
have  however  been  taught  to  provide  themselves  with  provisions  and  manu- 
factured goods  for  household  use,  and  there  are  some  very  comfortable  homes 
upon  the  reservation. 

Judge  James  G.  Swan,  of  Port  Townsend,  who  is  a  recognized  authority  on 
the  Cape  Indians  recently  wrote  a  very  interesting  chapter  on  the  Makah  Indi- 
ans which  appeared  in  the  Post- Intelligencer^  of  Seattle,  and  is  partially  as 
follows: 

"From  Neah  Bay  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  a  southwest  direction  is  a  prairie 
through  which  runs  a  creek  which  empties  into  the  Pacific  ocean  at  the  Indian 
village  Wa-atch,  four  miles  distant  from  Neah  Bay.  A  few  miles  south  of  Wa- 
atch  is  another  village  called  Tsoo-ess,  and  south  of  this  is  another  village 
called  Ho-sett  or  Osette.  These  three  villages  with  the  village  at  Neah  Bay 
constitute  the  winter  residences  of  the  Makah  tribe  of  Indians.  During  the 
summer  months  they  move  to  villages  nearer  Cape  Flattery,  one  of  which  is  at 
Kiddecubbut,  a  few  miles  west  of  Neah  Bay,  another  is  on  Tatoosh  island,  and 
a  third  at  Archawat,  on  the  coast  near  Wa-atch,  so  as  to  be  near  the  halibut 
banks,  the  whaling  grounds  and  the  fine  seal  fishing.  In  1859,  when  I  first 
visited  Neah  Bay,  the  Makah  tribe  numbered  820  persons,  220  of  whom  were 
strong  men  or  '  braves,'  and  the  remainder  women,  children  and  slaves.  Their 


THE    MAKAH    TRIBE  117 

means  of  subsistence  were  almost  entirely  drawn  from  the  ocean,  and  at  that 
time  their  principal  food  was  dried  halibut,  dried  whale  blubber  and  oil,  salmon, 
true  cod,  Gadus  morhua,  cultus  cod,  Ophiodon  elongatus,  black  cod  or  beshow, 
Anoplopoma  fimbria,  with  various  other  kinds  of  smaller  fish,  and  shell  fish  of 
different  kinds,  such  as  mussels,  crabs,  clams,  cockles,  limpets,  sea  slugs  and 
snales,  octopus,  squid  and  barnacles.  Of  late  years  they  have  accustomed  them- 
selves to  some  of  the  white  man's  food,  such  as  flour,  hard  bread,  rice,  beans 
and  potatoes,  and,  like  other  Indians,  are  very  fond  of  molasses  or  syrup,  which 
they  eat  with  their  bread  and  rice;  but  all  their  other  food  is  usually  greased 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  whale  oil.  I  have  frequently  eaten  with  them,  and 
must  confess  that  dried  halibut  dipped  in  fresh  sweet  whale  oil  is  not  an  objec- 
tionable repast  to  a  hungry  man. 

"The  whale  blubber  is  cut  in  strips,  then  boiled  to  extract  the  oil  which  is 
carefully  skimmed  off,  and  after  being  boiled  again  to  expel  the  moisture,  is  put 
into  receptacles  for  use  as  food.  The  blubber  after  being  boiled  is  hung  up  in 
the  smoke  and  dried  and  looks  like  bacon. 

"  The  halibut  is  cut  into  thin  flakes,  which  are  dried  in  the  sun  without  salt, 
and  when  well  cured  is  nice,  either  eaten  dry,  dipped  in  whale  oil  or  simply 
boiled  or  toasted  before  the  fire. 

"  The  Makahs  are  particularly  dextrous  in  handling  their  canoes,  and  proceed 
in  them  fearlessly  many  miles  from  land  in  pursuit  of  whales  or  seals,  or  for  fish- 
ing on  the  halibut  banks  fifteen  miles  northwest  from  the  Cape.  Their  canoes 
are  beautifully  modeled,  resembling  our  finest  clipper  ships.  They  are  formed 
from  a  single  log  of  cedar,  carved  out  with  skill  and  elegance.  The  best  canoes 
are  made  by  the  Clayoquotand  Nittinat  tribes  on  Vancouver  island,  B.  C.,  who 
sell  them  to  the  Makahs,  but  few  being  made  by  the  latter  tribe,  owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  cedar  in  their  vicinity. 

' '  In  attacking  a  whale  their  canoes  are  invariably  manned  with  eight  men — 
six  to  paddle,  one  to  steer  and  one  in  the  bow  to  throw  the  harpoon.  The  har- 
poons are  either  made  of  hoop  iron,  old  sheathing  metal  or  a  flat  mussel  shell 
sharpened  to  a  point,  having  barbs  of  elk  horn  fastened  on  each  side  of  the  flat 
surface  of  the  point,  securely  bound  with  wild  cherry  bark  and  neatly  fastened 
to  a  stout  lanyard  varying  in  length  from  one  to  four  fathoms.  The  whole  of 
the  spearhead  is  smeared  over  with  pitch  made  of  spruce  gum,  to  give  it  smooth- 
ness and  uniformity  of  surface.  The  pole  or  staff  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
long,  tapering  at  each  end,  and  made  of  yew,  which  gives  it  strength  and  solid- 
ity. When  used  the  lanyard  is  made  fast  to  a  buoy  of  sealskin  taken  off  whole 
from  the  animal  and  dried  with  the  hair  side  inward.  This  is  first  blown  up 
like  a  bladder,  then  the  end  of  the  pole  is  inserted  between  the  barbs  and  darted 
into  the  whale,  leaving  the  pole  which  is  taken  back  into  the  canoe.  The  short 
lanyard  is  used  when  striking  the  whale  in  the  head,  and  has  only  one  buoy 


118  THE    SIWASH 

attached.  The  long  one  is  used  in  striking  the  body  and  has  three  buoys  to  it. 
When  a  number  of  these  buoys  are  fastened  to  a  whale,  he  is  obliged  to  remain 
at  or  near  the  surface  of  the  water  and  is  easily  killed  with  spears  and  long 
lances.  Seals  and  porpoises  are  killed  with  similarly  formed  harpoons,  but  much 
smaller. 

' '  Their  fishing  lines  are  made  of  the  stem  of  the  gigantic  kelp,  Nercocystis, 
which  is  common  along  the  northwest  coast.  This  kelp,  commencing  at  its 
root  in  a  slender  stem  about  the  size  of  a  pipe  stem,  or  codline,  rises  to  within  a 
few  fathoms  of  the  surface  of  the  water  with  but  little  increase  of  size,  and  then 
gradually  enlarges  till  it  terminates  in  a  hollow  knob  or  bulb,  which  always 
floats  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  from  this  bulb  issue  long  streamer-like 
leaves  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  long.  The  Indians  cut  off  the  long  slender  portion 
of  the  stem,  then  soak  it  in  fresh  running  water  three  or  four  days,  or  until  it 
turns  white,  and  then  stretch  it  and  rub  it  to  a  uniform  size,  then  knot 
the  pieces  together,  coil  them  up  and  the  fish  line  is  made.  When  dry  it 
is  brittle  and  readily  broken,  but  an  immersion  in  water  a  few  minutes  makes  it 
pliable,  when  it  becomes  tough  and  exceedingly  strong.  The  bulb  of  this  kelp 
and  upper  part  of  the  stem  being  hollow,  are  used  for  various  purposes.  Fish- 
bait  is  kept  in  them,  and  the  larger  ones  are  frequently  used  as  water  bottles. 

' '  The  fishhooks  of  the  Makahs  are  made  of  the  knots  or  butt  parts  of  hem- 
lock limbs  first  split  into  splinters  of  the  required  length  and  whittled  to  the  re- 
quired shape,  then  placed  in  a  kelp  stem  and  roasted  in  hot  ashes  till  pliable, 
then  bent  into  a  form  like  an  ox  bow.  The  line  is  fastened  to  the  upper  arm, 
and  on  the  inside  of  the  lower  arm  a  barb  of  bone  is  firmly  attached,  and  with 
this  rude  and  simple  instrument  they  readily  secure  the  halibut  and  cod.  For 
smaller  fish  they  use  steel  fishhooks  purchased  of  the  white  men. 

"  The  houses  or  lodges  of  the  Makahs  are  built  of  cedar  boards  and  planks 
and  are  usually  of  large  size,  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  high  and  forty  to  sixty 
feet  square,  with  slightly  elevated  shed-like  roofs.  These  boards  are  split  from 
cedar  logs  with  little  wedges  of  yew  and  require  skill  and  patience  to  make 
them.  These  houses  are  comfortable  dwellings,  excepting  the  smoke,  and  as 
they  have  several  families  in  each  lodge,  each  family  having  a  separate  fire  the 
smoke  of  which  serves  to  dry  the  fish  and  blubber,  the  usual  fumes  cause  an  in- 
tense smarting  in  the  eyes  of  visitors  who  are  not  accustomed  to  so  much  carbon 
in  the  atmosphere.  During  the  past  ten  years  some  of  the  better  class  of  Indi- 
ans at  Neah  village  have  built  houses  in  white  men's  style,  but  all  the  older 
villages  retain  the  ancient  form  of  building. 

"  Their  manufactures  consist  of  such  implements  as  are  used  in  fishing  and 
hunting  —  harpoons,  spears,  bows  and  arrows  and  fishhooks.  Bows  and  arrows 
are  now  rarely  used  except  by  the  boys  for  shooting  birds,  the  Hudsons  Bay 
company  musket  taking  its  place,  and  of  late  years  rifles  and  double-barreled 


THE    MAKAH    TRIBE  119 

shotguns;  the  women  braid  mats  very  neatly  from  cedar  bark  and  weave  blank- 
ets from  dogs'  hair.  Baskets  and  conical-shaped  Chinese-looking  hats  for 
keeping  off  rain,  are  made  from  spruce  roots,  cedar  twigs  and  bleached  bear 
grass.  They  also  make  of  these  materials,  table  mats  which  are  very  handsome 
and  durable.  The  northern  Indians  and  particularly  those  of  Queen  Charlotte 
island,  B.  C.,  are  very  expert  carvers  of  wood  and  stone,  and  manufacture  brace- 
lets, finger  rings  and  ear  ornaments  of  silver  and  gold,  decorated  with  carvings 
of  various  devices.  The  tribe  south  of  Queen  Charlotte  group  have  little  skill 
in  these  particulars,  and  only  carve  rude  faces  of  men  or  animals  of  their  myth- 
ology on  their  masks  and  other  articles. 

"The  Makahs  are  fond  of  music,  and  many  of  their  songs  and  chants,  when 
sung  in  chorus,  are  melodious  and  musical.  They  readily  pick  up  tunes  from 
others  and  can  sing  the  popular  songs  of  the  day,  and  some  of  the  scholars  at 
the  agency  school  learned  to  play  the  piano  and  organ;  in  fact  they  can  learn 
anything  that  white  children  are  taught. 

' '  The  primitive  dress  of  the  Makahs  at  the  time  of  establishing  the  reserva- 
tion in  1862  was  simple  and  picturesque.  During  warm  weather  a  blanket  was 
the  usual  covering  of  both  sexes,  the  women  simply  adding  a  cotton  skirt  or 
petticoat,  or  a  cincture  of  cedar  bark  spun  into  a  coarse  fringe,  reaching  from 
the  waist  to  the  knee.  Some  of  the  men  tied  their  hair  into  a  club  knot  behind, 
around  which  they  wore  a  wreath  of  hemlock  or  spruce  twigs  or  fresh  plucked 
sea  weed,  giving  them  a  picturesque  appearance.  During  rains  or  cold  weather 
the  men  wore  bearskin  cloaks,  with  the  head  part  cut  off  so  that  the  forepaws 
can  be  brought  on  each  side  of  the  neck  and  fastened;  the  paws,  with  the  great 
nails  attached,  hang  down  upon  the  breast.  On  their  heads  they  place  the 
conical-shaped  hat  painted  with  various  designs,  and  in  this  costume,  with  the 
addition  of  a  gun  or  spear,  they  make  a  formidable  appearance.  Both  sexes 
have  the  cartilage  of  the  nose  pierced,  and  into  this  is  tied  a  pendant  piece  of 
abalone  shell  by  way  of  ornament.  Shell  ear  ornaments  were  also  worn,  but 
now  are  but  seldom  seen.  The  females  ornament  themselves  when  in  full  dress 
for  dancing  or  ceremonial  purposes,  with  a  coronet  made  of  the  dentalium,  or 
tooth  shell,  called  '  haiqua.'  This  is  fastened  around  the  head  in  parallel  rows, 
and  its  pearly  whiteness  contrasted  with  their  black  hair  is  very  ornamental. 
Into  their  ears  are  fastened  strings  of  haiqua,  intermingled  with  brass  buttons, 
thimbles,  beads  of  various  colors  and  pieces  of  the  green  shells  of  the  abalone. 
Rings  of  brass  wire  encircle  the  wrists,  bunches  of  beads  of  various  colors  are 
tied  around  the  neck,  and  strings  of  beads  wound  around  the  ankles;  the  line 
of  the  parting  of  the  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head  is  marked  with  vermillion,  the 
eyebrows  blackened  with  charcoal,  the  face  is  greased  with  deer's  fat  and  then 
rubbed  over  with  vermillion,  and  this  was  the  ornamental  appearance  of  a 
Makah  belle  when  on  dress  parade. 


120  THE    SIWASH 

' '  When  about  their  usual  work  among  fish  and  blubber,  or  when  they  are  off 
on  a  trading  voyage  with  a  load  of  oil  and  dried  halibut,  their,  dress  is  very 
simple  and  very  dirty.  I  have  seen  many  of  the  men  with  a  coating  of  grease 
and  soot  covering  their  entire  bodies,  and  the  dresses  of  the  women  completely 
saturated  with  oil  and  dirt;  but  as  soon  as  they  get  through  their  work  or  re- 
turn from  a  cruise  up  Fuca  straits  there  is  a  general  washing.  This  washing 
scene  is  the  usual  morning  ceremony.  The}'  are  very  fond  of  bathing  in  the 
surf,  and  do  not  omit  their  bath  even  in  the  coldest  weather. 

"  Breakfast  immediately  follows  the  bath,  and  as  all  their  meals  are  served 
alike,  a  description  of  one  at  which  I  partook  in  1859  will  give  an  idea  of  the 
style  then  prevalent.  On  entering  the  lodge  I  was  invited  to  sit  down  near  the 
chief  or  head  man  of  the  family.  His  portion  of  the  lodge  was  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  building  by  a  screen  of  mats  to  keep  off  the  cold.  Before  me, 
circled  round  the  fire,  were  the  children  and  slaves,  for  slavery  existed  among 
them  at  that  time,  and  on  the  raised  platform  sat  the  principal  members  of  the 
family.  At  my  left,  suspended  from  a  pole  stuck  in  the  ground,  hung  the 
cradle  of  an  infant  who  was  firmly  lashed  in  an  oblong  basket,  and  its  head 
compressed  by  bark  and  moss  bound  tightly  across  its  forehead.  The  mother, 
sitting  near,  lulled  the  child  to  sleep  by  gently  pulling  a  string  tied  to  the  top 
of  the  pole,  producing  a  motion  not  unlike  a  modern  baby  jumper.  Around  the 
sides  of  the  lodge  were  boxes  and  chests  of  the  occupants,  and  on  shelves  over 
these  were  piled  baskets  of  potatoes  and  dried  fish  and  skins  of  oil;  overhead 
hung  blubber  and  fish  to  dry  in  the  smoke  for  future  food.  The  meal  consisted 
of  roasted  potatoes,  boiled  ducks,  boiled  fish,  dried  halibut  and  whale  oil.  Hard 
bread  and  molasses  were  offered  me,  but  I  declined,  thinking  that  whale  oil  was 
more  of  a  rarity  to  my  palate.  The  viands  were  served  up  in  wooden  trenchers, 
and  all  helped  themselves  without  any  aid  from  knife  or  fork.  When  we  had 
finished,  we  wiped  our  greasy  hands  and  faces  on  some  cedar  bark,  beat  into  a 
soft,  fibrous  mass,  called  '  tupsoc,'  and  rinsed  our  mouths  with  a  drink  of  cold 
water.  They  usually  take  three  meals  a  day,  excepting  when  they  have  a 
feasting  time  when  they  go  from  house  to  house  eating  at  every  one.  On  one 
occasion  when  I  was  taking  the  census  of  the  tribe,  I  was  invited  to  partake  of 
food  in  each  lodge  I  visited.  As  that  was  impossible  I  asked  my  interpreter 
what  I  should  do,  as  to  refuse  hospitality  is  to  give  offense.  '  Oh, '  said  he,  '  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  put  your  finger  down  your  throat  as  we  do,  and  thus  re- 
lieve you  stomach.'  And  that  really  is  the  only  alternative,  and  with  Indians 
it  is  very  effective,  as  I  have  seen  an  Indian  apparently  eat  with  relish  seven  or 
eight  breakfasts,  but  somehow  I  never  could  acquire  the  practice,  and  I  was  ex- 
cused, as  I  was  a  white  man. 

' '  Among  the  old  Indians  and  those  who  have  not  been  educated,  these  old 
customs  prevail,  but  with  the  younger  generation  who  have  attended  school,  the 


THE    MAKAH    TRIBE  121 

habits  of  civilization  are  followed  in  a  degree.  The  Makah  Indian  agency  was 
established  in  June,  1862,  with  Henry  A.  Webster  United  States  Indian  agent. 
I  was  appointed  teacher  and  superintendent  of  the  government  building,  and 
remained  until  August,  1866.  My  first  pupil  was  a  bright  little  boy  about  nine 
years  old  named  James  Claplanhoo,  the  hereditary  chief  of  the  tribe.  Jimmie 
remained  with  me  all  the  time  I  was  on  the  reservation,  and  then  went  to  live 
with  the  Indian  agent  as  cook  until  he  was  old  enough  to  marry,  and  then  he 
married  one  of  the  schoolgirls,  Mary  Ann  Charliquoa,  and  has  a  family  of  boys 
and  girls.  His  eldest  son,  Jorji  James,  is  captain  of  the  sealing  schooner  Deeahks, 
and  his  eldest  daughter,  Minnie,  is  married  to  Chistoqua  Peterson,  one  of  the 
smartest  young  men  in  the  tribe,  a  graduate  of  the  Indian  school,  who  owns  the 
sealing  schooner  Columbia  and  is  a  regular  trader. 

"  The  Makahs  are  a  self-supporting  and  thrifty  tribe.  When  I  went  among 
them  to  reside  officially,  the  largest  vessels  they  had  were  canoes  dug  out  of 
cedar  logs,  and  they  were  the  most  expert  surfmen  I  have  seen.  I  advised 
them  to  get  larger  vessels  and  the  government  encouraged  them,  and  in  1888 
the  United  States  marshal  sold  to  Chistoqua  Peterson,  Peter  Brown  and  John 
Tainsub,  all  Makahs,  the  seized  schooner  Anna  Beck,  of  sixty  tons  gross  meas- 
urement, which  they  named  the  James  G.  Swan.  In  1880  Peter  bought  the 
old  schooner  Letitia  and  sold  her  to  some  Vancouver  island  Indians  and  bought 
the  fine  schooner  Champion,  which  was  lost  on  Vancouver  island.  James  Clap- 
lanhoo bought  the  pilot  boat  Lottie,  but  she  was  wrecked.  He  now  owns  the 
schooners  Deeahks  and  Emmet  Felitz.  Lighthouse  Jim  owns  the  C.  C.  Perkins. 
Yokum,  the  storekeeper  owns  the  Matilda.  The  Puritan  and  August  and  sev- 
eral smaller  sloops  and  boats  are  owned  by  others.  During  all  the  '  hard  times  ' 
this  thrifty  tribe  has  made  a  comfortable  living  by  sealing,  whaling  and  fish' 
ing  for  halibut,  cod  and  other  varieties.  Several  of  these  Indians,  such  as  Capt. 
James  Claplanhoo,  Chistoqua  Peterson,  Peter  Brown,  Shobid  Hunter  and  others, 
have  comfortable  homes  like  white  people,  and  Kobal  runs  the  only  hotel  at 
Neah,  which  now  looks  like  a  little  watering  village,  but  the  old  Indians  and 
those  who  live  in  villages  on  the  coast  prefer  their  large  wooden  lodges,  and  it 
will  take  another  generation  or  more  before  they  will  abandon  their  old  customs 
and  adopt  the  white  man's  style  of  living.  But  they  show  a  degree  of  industri- 
ous thrift  which  could  be  profitably  emulated  by  croakers  and  idlers  in  all  our 
towns. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

FOOTPRINTS   OF  UNKNOWN  TRAVELERS 

Antedating , the  first  arrivals  of  white  people  to  the  Sound  in  the  40*8,  were 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  country  numbers  of  things  showing  that  white 
men  or  civilized  or  half-civilized  people  of  some  color  had  visited  the  country. 
One  instance  particularly  was  the  remains  or  indications  of  a  settlement  or 
camp  at  the  mouth  of  the  Duwamish  river.  As  nearly  as  good  judgment 
could  fix  it,  this  camp  must  have  been  located  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century.  It  is  not  improbable  that  at  some  very  early  day,  some  navigator  bold 
built  a  new  one  or  repaired  very  materially  a  sailing  vessel  at  that  place. 
Stumps  of  trees  that  showed  they  had  been  cut  for  scores  of  years  were  found, 
and  the  trees  themselves  gone;  strong  proof  that  whoever  stopped  there  did  so 
for  a  purpose,  executed  it  and  went  on  their  way,  leaving  nothing  behind  by 
which  their  identity  could  be  made  known  to  those  who  came  after  them.  The 
Indians  had  no  recollection  or  tradition  of  those  who  cut  the  trees,  though  it 
is  not  improbable  that  some  one  of  the  early  navigators  shortly  subsequent  to 
Vancouver  tarried  there  for  a  time. 

Another  find  of  later  years  was  the  uncovering  of  a  strange  and  very  old 
cave,  an  old  tomb  in  one  of  the  public  streets  of  Seattle. 

There  was  not  line  or  marble,  nor  carving,  trinket,  old  coin  nor  scroll  to  tell 
its  history,  to  name  its  day.  It  was  way  back  in  the  palmy  days  of  1872  when 
the  old  tomb  was  unearthed  and  once  more  saw  the  light.  The  toilers  of  that 
day  were  grading  down  to  the  virgin  soil  and  carrying  Front  street  to  the 
north.  In  their  path  at  a  spot  opposite  where  the  Frye  block  now  stands  and 
just  north  of  Marion  street  stood  a  small  mound.  It  must  be  cut  down,  and 
cut  down  it  was;  and  the  dirt  carried  to  a  distance  south  of  the  present  cros- 
sing at  Marion  street  and  dumped  into  a  small  ravine  or  depression  through 
which  an  old  log-run  threaded  its  course  to  the  higher  ground.  In  the  digging 
of  the  mound  the  workmen  laid  bare  the  old  tomb;  and  such  a  tomb!  In  the 
center  of  the  mound  it  was  about  five  feet  from  the  surface.  Built  up  for  two 
or  three  feet  with  four  walls  of  stone,  boulders  from  here  and  there,  but  in  a 
way  showing  rudimentary  knowledge  of  architecture  and  design.  Inside  was 


FOOTPRINTS    OF    UNKNOWN    TRAVELERS  123 

the  half-mummy,  half-skeleton  of  some  one  unknown.  Filling  all  of  the  space  of 
the  sarcophagus  was  beach  sand,  apparently  having  been  procured  with  great  care 
and  toil.  Such  was  the  story  of  the  unknown  dead.  It  astonished  the  local 
historian  of  that  day  as  it  is  still  the  wonder  of  those  same  historians  who  are 
yet  living  here  today.  The  old  tomb  was  at  least  100  yards  from  the  then  high 
tide  line,  and  the  carefully  gathered  white  beach  sand  had  most  certainly  been 
carried  over  the  intervening  distance  from  sea  to  grave.  Some  joints  of  the 
skeleton  were  decayed,  others  not.  The  skull  was  perfect  and  what  caused  the 
local  historian  to  wonder,  and  wonder,  and  wonder  again,  was  that  the  poll 
of  the  skeleton  was  not  flattened.  For  20  years  after  the  whites  settled  here,  and  . 
for  times  out  of  mind  before  that  the  Indians  of  the  Sound  had  universally  flattened 
the  skull.  But  then  it  was  not  Indian,  why?  Because  the  Indians  said  it  was 
not.  Old  Kitsap's  people  said  it  was  not,  and  the  traditions  and  customs  of 
all  the  local  Indians  disproved  such  a  proposition.  It  was  on  the  edges  of  the 
high  bluffs  around  the  bay,  just  underneath  the  grass  roots  and  tufts  that 
clung  to  the  very  edges  of  the  bluffs,  where  the  Indian  dead  were  buried,  had 
always  been  buried,  and  even  up  to  the  present  winter  days  of  1895,  when  an 
unusually  heavy  rainfall  may  occur,  the  bones  of  the  dead  Indians  may  be 
found  at  odd  spots  along  the  bluffs.  They  never  put  their  dead  under  ground. 
The  local  historian  has  two  probable  theories  for  the  cave.  In  Vancouver's  first 
explorations  of  the  Sound  his  ships  anchored  off  Blakeley  rocks;  after  coursing 
Admiralty  inlet  Lieu.  Puget  took  a  boat'screw  and  paddled  away  even  to  a  greater 
distance  up  the  Sound.  Naturally  they  would  explore  such  a  pretty  bay  as 
that  around  the  rim  of  which  the  Queen  City  so  proudly  sits,  and  it  might  have 
been  that  one  of  his  men  died  and  was  buried  here.  Lewis  and  Clark's  men 
or  some  early  explorers  may  have  ventured  down  the  valley  of  the  Duwamish 
river  in  the  dawn  of  the  present  century.  Trees  had  been  cut  and  the  stumps 
were  still  standing  that  marked  the  sites  of  the  early  camping  grounds,  and 
axes  had  been  used  in  the  cutting.  It  might  have  been  one  of  those  explorers 
bold,  died  and  was  buried  in  the  stone  grave  so  carefully  arranged  to  preserve 
the  bones  placed  within.  But  these  are  only  theories  and  the  wonder  of  the 
little  mound  will  perhaps  forever  remain  a  riddle  unsolved. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

SOME   NEIGHBORLY  TRIBES 

The  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  great  body  of  water  forming  the  inland  sea 
known  to  the  Pacific  coast  Indians  as  the  Whtilge,  attracted  many  tribes  living 
at  some  distance  from  it  both  in  the  interior  and  to  the  north.  Among  these 
visitors  were  what  were  always  spoken  of  by  the  earlier  settlers  as  the  Northern 
Indians.  It  is  now  known  that  these  were  the  tribes  from  both  the  British 
Columbia  and  Alaska  coasts — the  Haidas,  the  most  advanced  tribe  probably  in 
the  entire  northwest;  the  T'Klinkets  of  Alaska,  and  other  less  distinguished 
tribes. 

The  Haidas  occupied  principally  the  Queen  Charlotte  islands  and  the 
Prince  of  Wales  archipelago.  There  is  nothing  unusual  about  these  islands  in 
topographical  appearance.  They  present  the  same  broken  surface,  snow-capped 
mountains  and  deep  canyons,  with  huge  landslides  and  sparkling  glacial  aspect 
so  common  in  that  region.  But  these  same  islands  of  summer  rains  and  fogs 
and  winter  ice  and  snow  are  peopled  by  one  of  the  most  remarkable  races  of 
aborigines  found  on  the  American  continent.  L,ike  nearly  all  of  the  rest  of  the 
Indians  of  the  northwest  coast,  they  live  by  hunting  and  fishing,  and  as  the 
lands  inhabited  by  them  are  rough  and  broken,  and  subdivided  into  such  small 
tracts  by  the  numerous  mountain  ranges,  their  only  means  of  travel  is  by  water. 

The  Indians  about  Dixon  entrance  are  unquestionably  superior  in  physique 
to  the  coast  Indians  to  the  southward,  and  among  themselves  the  physical 
superiority  rests  with  the  Haida.  This  may  be  due  to  real  ethnical  differences, 
but  is  probably  accounted  for  in  the  fact  that  natural  conditions  in  the  Queen 
Charlotte  islands  and  around  such  an  exposed  arm  as  Dixon  entrance  have 
produced  a  finer  and  more  robust  people  than  those  in  less  exposed  regions. 
While  there  is  considerable  uniformity  in  the  general  physical  character  of  all 
the  stocks  on  the  northwest  coast,  a  practiced  eye  can  readily  detect  the  differ- 
ence between  them. 

As  the  superiority  of  the  Haidas  to  the  T'Klinkets  and  Tsimshians  comprises 
the  greatest  difference  in  physical  characteristics,  so  with  the  emotional  and 
moral  nature  of  the  three  races,  the  greatest  difference  is  marked  only  by  the 
superior  sensitiveness  of  the  Haidas. 


SOME    NEIGHBORLY    TRIBES  125 

It  is  in  the  intellect,  however,  that  the  greatest  gulf  exists  between  them. 
One  visiting  the  Haidas  sees  many  strikingly  intelligent  and  attractive  faces 
amongst  the  older  men  and  women,  where  experience  has  given  character  to 
their  expressions.  The  dullness  attributed  to  the  Indians  of  the  interior  here 
gives  place  to  a  more  alert  expression  of  countenance.  They  acquire  knowledge 
readily,  and  since  schools  have  been  established  among  them  their  children 
have  made  fair  progress.  They  learn  all  trades  with  readiness,  and  before  the 
missionaries  and  traders  came  among  them  they  exhibited  much  ingenuity,  not 
only  in  the  erection  of  comfortable  dwelling  houses,  but  in  their  numerous  carv- 
ings on  wood  and  slate,  their  working  and  engraving  on  copper  and  the  erection 
of  those  great  totem  columns  which  make  every  Haida  village  famous. 

Their  ingenious  methods  of  hunting  and  fishing,  their  modes  of  living,  their 
food,  their  methods  of  warfare  and  their  laws  and  customs  are  all  interesting 
subjects,  but  space  will  make  it  necessary  to  confine  the  present  article  to  some 
of  their  totem  columns,  carvings  and  engravings. 

But  little  is  generally  known  of  the  real  meaning  of  these  great  columns  that 
form  such  a  prominent  feature  in  the  Haida  settlements.  Government  experts 
have  been  among  them  during  the  summer  months  of  several  seasons  and 
studied  them  as  thoroughly  as  possible  at  such  seasons  of  the  year.  Judge 
James  G.  Swan,  of  Port  Townsend,  has  also  gathered  a  valuable  and  complete 
collection  of  Haida  carvings,  engravings,  basket  work,  implements,  etc. ,  for  the 
Smithsonian  Institution,  but  thus  far  there  has  been  but  little  attention  given  to 
the  systematic  study  of  the  mythology  of  the  race,  as  that  can  only  be  studied 
with  satisfaction  during  the  winter  months  when  the  natives  are  collected  in 
their  various  homes,  thus  rendering  it  possible  for  only  a  few  of  the  more  in- 
quisitive missionaries  and  traders  to  know  anything  of  the  legends  that  compose 
the  rich  folklore  of  the  Haida  nation.  A  totem  is  a  rude  picture  or  carving  as 
of  a  bird  or  other  animal,  used  as  a  symbol  of  a  family.  It  represents  a  class 
of  material  objects  which  a  savage  regards  with  superstitious  respect,  believing 
that  there  exists  between  him  and  every  member  of  the  class  an  intimate  and 
altogether  special  relation.  The  connection  between  a  man  and  his  totem  is 
beneficial  one  to  the  other;  the  totem  protects  the  man  and  in  return  he  shows 
his  respect  by  not  killing  it,  if  it  be  an  animal,  and  by  not  cutting  or  gathering 
it  if  it  be  a  plant. 

There  are  at  least  three  kinds  of  totems,  namely  the  clan  totem,  sex  totem 
and  individual  totem.  The  clan  totem  is  common  to  a  whole  clan  and  passes 
by  inheritance  from  one  generation  to  another,  while  the  individual  totem  be- 
longs to  but  one  person  and  does  not  pass  to  his  descendants. 

From  their  nature  totems  are  constantly  undergoing  change.  Clans  tend  to 
become  phrateries,  split  up  into  sub-phrateries;  sub-phrateries  decay  and  finally 
disappear.  An  individual  becomes  wealthy  or  otherwise  distinguishes  himself, 


126 


THE    SIWASH 


and  being  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  tribe,  his  totem,  or  rather  his  crest  or 
sub-totem,  which  may  previously  have  been  an  obscure  one,  rises  with  him  as  he 
advances  in  importance  in  his  tribe.  Under  his  successors,  the  totem  widens  in 
its  numbers  and  influence,  and  finally  eclipses  other  clan  totems,  which  in  time 
melt  away,  or  are  incorporated  with  it. 

A  single  system  of  totems  extends  throughout  the  different  tribes  of  the 
Haidas.  The  principal  totems  found  among  them  are  the  eagle,  wolf,  crow, 
black  bear,  brown  bear  and  thrasher. 

The  sub-totem  usually  comes  from  naming  the  child  after  some  natural  ob- 
jects from  some  accidental  circumstance  or  fanciful  resemblance,  or  in  nick- 
naming in  after  life. 

The  Haida  Indians  of  Houkan  often  repeat  a  legend  of  a  great  war  between 
them  and  the  T'Klinkets.  '  While  they  were  engaged  in  a  great  battle,  which 
afterwards  decided  the  contest,  a  flock  of  ravens  flew  over  and  perched  on  the 
side  of  the  Haidas.  And  they  being  victorious,  took  "  Yalth,"  or  the  raven,  as 
the  totem  of  the  Haida  tribes. 

The  carved  columns  of  the  Haidas  may  be  divided  into  two  classes,  the 
totemic  and  the  commemorative.  Those  erected  in  front  of  houses  are  usually 
very  tall  ones,  and  are  for  the  most  part 
histories  of  the  families  who  own  them. 
The  top  figure  is  usually  the  clan  totem 
of  the  chief  occupant.  Those  below  may 
represent  totems  of  his  wife  and  children, 
the  children  always  taking  unto  them- 
selves the  mother's  totem.  Sometimes  it 
illustrates  some  legend  closely  connected 
or  referring  to  the  owner's  totem.  Some 
of  them  deal  with  the  history  of  the  tribe, 
while  others  are  purely  legendary,  but 
refer  to  the  totem  of  the  owner.  None 
but  the  wealthy  can  afford  to  erect  these 
carved  columns,  so  that  one  who  is  rich 
enough  to  own  one  has  a  prestige  that  is 
so  desirable  among  them.  As  the  head 
of  a  household  he  becomes  a  petty  chief  3j£ 
in  the  village.  With  the  Haida,  to  ac- 
cumulate sufficient  wealth  to  own  a  totem 
pole  and  rise  to  the  dignity  of  a  petty  TOTEM  COLUMN>  NORTHERN  INDIANS 
chief  is  the  leading  passion  of  his  soul. 

Ensign  Niblock,  of  the  United  States  navy,  in  speaking  of  these  totem  col- 
umns, says:  "A  great  deal  of  mystery  has  been  thrown  around  these  picto- 


SOME    NEIGHBORLY    TRIBES  127 

graphic  carvings,  due  to  the  ignorance  and  misconception  of  some  writers  and 
the  reticence  or  deliberate  deception  practiced  by  the  Indians  themselves. 
One  of  those  Indians  will  not  tell  his  stories  or  explain  his  carving  to  any 
but  the  initiated,  and  then  only  when  they  are  in  perfect  sympathy  with  him. 
Mr.  McLeod,  the  trader  at  Houkan,  was  very  successful  in  gaining  information 
from  them  that  would  have  been  impossible  for  Mr.  Gould,  the  missionary,  or 
his  wife,  the  government  school  teacher,  to  have  obtained.  Then  they  have 
their  moods,- and  will  rarely  tell  their  stories  either  in  daytime  or  during  the 
summer  season.  But  during  those  long  winter  nights  which  characterize  that 
region  the  old  Indian  will  build  a  fire  and  settle  himself  down  in  business-like 
manner  and  talk  as  long  as  the  fire  lasts.  When  the  fire  has  burned  down  to  a 
bed  of  coals  and  the  dying  embers  begin  to  fade  away,  his  story  stops.  Nor 
will  he  build  another  fire.  Nothing  more  will  be  heard  of  the  story  that  night. 
Thus  it  often  requires  a  week  or  more  for  an  old  Haida  to  complete  the  narra- 
tion of  the  story  that  is  written  on  a  single  totemic  carving." 

Ensign  Niblock  was  quite  right  when  he  wrote  of  these  totem  carvings: 
"  They  are  in  no  sense  idols,  but  in  general  may  be  said  to  be  ancestral  columns. 
The  legends  which  they  illustrate  are  but  the  traditions,  folklore  and  nursery 
tales  of  a  primitive  people;  and  while  they  are  in  some  sense  childish  or  friv- 
olous, and  at  times  even  coarse,  they  represent  the  current  human  thought  as 
truly  as  do  the  ancient  inscriptions  in  Egypt  and  Babylonia,  or  the  Maya  in- 
scriptions of  Yucatan." 

The  totemic  and  commemorative  carvings  are  for  the  most  part  symbolical  of 
the  objects  they  represent  rather  than  imitations  of  them.  There  is  usually 
some  arbitrary  mark  by  which  one  of  the  initiated  distinguishes  one  symbol 
from  another.  Thus  the  brown  bear  is  usually  known  by  the  peculiar  shape  of 
the  ears,  the  beaver  by  the  shape  of  his  teeth,  the  raven  by  the  sharpness  of 
his  bill,  the  eagle  by  the  shape  of  his  beak,  the  owl  by  the  ears,  the  grampus 
by  his  great  fin,  etc. 

The  explanation  of  the  column  in  front  of  the  Haida  house  given  in  the  illus- 
tration may  be  of  interest. 

The  figure  (a)  at  the  top  of  the  column  represents  "  Hoots,"  or  the  brown 
bear,  which  is  the  totem  of  the  proprietor  of  the  house.  The  "disks"  (b) 
below  the  bear  indicate  the  high  rank  or  great  wealth  of  the  man  who  erected 
it.  Each  one  of  them  usually  commemorates  some  meritorious  act  of  its  owner, 
such  as  giving  a  great  ' '  potlatch  ' '  or  winning  a  great  victory.  Next  proceed- 
ing down  the  column  is  "  Yalth"  (c),  the  great  raven  with  the  moon  in  his 
mouth.  Beneath  him  is  the  bear  and  hunter  (d),  and  at  the  bottom  is  "  Tsing  " 
(f) ,  the  beaver  and  totem  of  the  wife  and  children.  The  following  is  the  story 
related  by  the  carving  of  the  bear  and  hunter: 

Touats,  the  hunter,  on  one  occasion  visited  the  house  of  the  great  king  of 


128  THE    SIWASH 

bears.  The  great  bear  was  not  at  home,  but  his  wife  being  there  he  made  love 
to  her.  When  Hoots  (the  bear)  returned  he  found  his  wife  very  anxious  and 
much  confused,  so  he  charged  her  with  unfaithfulness  to  him,  a  charge  that  she 
speedily  denied.  She  continued  to  go  regularly  for  wood  and  water.  As  the 
bear's  suspicions  continued  to  exist,  he  fastened  a  magic  cord  to  her  dress  one 
of  those  days,  and,  following  it  up,  found  her  in  the  arms  of  the  hunter. 
Hoots,  being  much  enraged,  killed  the  hunter  (Touats)  after  a  hard  fight. 

It  is  not  known  whether  or  not  this  legend  originated  in  the  failure  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  real  bear  and  the  bear  totem.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  the  bear  totem  is  referred  to.  An  Indian  moralist  will  find  in  this  story  a 
warning  to  wives  to  be  faithful  to  their  husbands. 

Above  the  bear  and  hunter  is  "Yalth,"  or  the  great  raven,  carrying  in  his 
beak  the  new  moon  and  in  his  claws  the  dish  of  fresh  water,  illustrating  the 
most  familiar  version  of  the  Haida  legend  of  the  creation.  Yalth,  the  raven 
and  benefactor  of  man,  stole  from  his  evil  uncle,  the  eagle  (the  enemy  of  man), 
the  new  moon  which  he  had  imprisoned  in  a  box,  and  also  got  fresh  water  by 
strategy  from  the  eagle's  daughter.  The  crafty  raven  made  love  to  the  eagle's 
daughter  and  won  her  confidence.  He  then  deceived  her  and  flew  out  through 
the  smoke  hole  of  the  eagle's  house,  taking  the  water  with  him.  He  also  stole 
the  sun  and  stars  from  the  boxes  in  which  they  were  imprisoned  by  the  chief 
of  tides.  When  the  sun  shone  forth  all  the  people  were  frightened  and  ran  in 
all  directions  in  search  of  hiding  places.  Some  flew  to  the  mountains,  others 
into  the  sea  and  many  took  to  the  woods. 

They  were  all  transformed  into  animals  suited  to  live  in  their  respective 
hiding  places.  He  reached  an  island  in  the  sea  by  the  help  of  his  magic  bird 
skin,  and  seizing  a  burning  brand  of  fire  started  on  his  return  to  Queen  Char- 
lotte island,  but  the  journey  was  so  long  that  nearly  all  of  the  wood  burned  up, 
and  even  the  point  of  his  bill  was  scorched  black,  so  he  had  to  let  it  drop.'  The 
sparks  flew  in  all  directions  over  the  whole  region,  so  that  ever  after  both  stone 
and  wood  contain  fire,  which  can  be  obtained  from  one  by  striking  and  from  the 
other  by  rubbing.  There  are  many  versions  of  this  story  of  creation,  and  many 
are  the  adventures  of  Yalth,  the  raven,  not  to  mention  the  other  traditions, 
which  are  too  numerous  for  one  Indian  to  learn  in  a  lifetime. 

There  are  several  accounts  of  creation  that  have  gained  ground  among  the 
various  Haida  tribes. 

All  of  them  agree  that  Yalth,  or  the  great  raven,  is  the  benefactor  of  man, 
and  the  creator  of  all  things.  According  to  one  of  the  legends  the  first  people 
sprung  from  a  cockle  shell,  and  that  the  raven  stole  from  the  eagle  all  the 
things  which  were  needed  by  men.  According  to  another  tradition  the  raven 
transformed  himself  into  a  drop  of  water  and  the  eagle's  daughter  having  drank 
him  became  impregnated  with  him  and  bore  him  a  man  child,  etc.  The  Indians 


SOME    NEIGHBORLY    TRIBES 


129 


at  Houkan  have  still  a  different  version  of  the  first  part  of  the  creation  story. 
According  to  them  the  sister  of  Mughilflass,  the  first  man,  was  childless,  and 
wished  to  marry.  Her  name  was  Slaugfunt.  She  sat  many  days  in  the  house 
of  her  brother  wishing  for  a  mate  to  come  along  and  take  her.  One  day  she 
saw  a  whale-killer  pass  by,  who  returned  and  took  her  a  long  way  out  to  sea 
with  him.  While  gone  the  man  child  was  born.  Varied  as  these  legends  are 
concerning  the  first  part  of  the  creation  they  all  seem  to  agree  that  the  raven 
stole  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  from  the  eagle,  and  the  fresh  water  from  the 
eagle's  daughter,  according  to  the  story  on  the  totem  column  just  described,  and 
he  did  all  these  criminal  deeds  for  the  good  of  man. 

The  Haidas  show  great  ingenuity  in  their 
carvings  on  wood,  but  it  is  in  their  slate  mod- 
elings that  their  greatest  skill  is  exhibited. 
They  mine  their  peculiar  quality  of  slate  on 
Queen  Charlotte  island.  When  it  first  comes 
out  of  the  ground  it  is  soft  and  easy  to  work, 
but  after  it  has  been  exposed  to  the  atmos- 
phere for  a  few  weeks  it  becomes  very  hard 
and  takes  a  good  polish.  On  this  slate  they 
execute  work  that  compares  favorably  with 
many  of  the  productions  of  highly  civilized 
sculptors. 

One  of  their  best  specimens  is  the  Bear 
Mother,  which  also  illustrates  a  legend.  There 
are  several  versions  of  it,  but  here  is  the  most 
usually  accepted: 

A  number  of  Indian  squaws  were  in  the 
woods  gathering  berries  when  a  chief's  daugh- 
ter, who  chanced  to  be  among  them,  ridiculed 
the  whole  bear  species.  The  bears  poured 
down  upon  them  and  killed  all  but  the  chiefs 
daughter,  whom  the  king  bear  made  his  wife. 

She  bore  him  a  child,  half  human  and  half 
bear.  She  was  discovered  up  a  tree  one  day  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  were  out 
hunting.  They  mistook  her  for  a  bear,  but  she  made  them  understand  that  she 
was  human.  They  took  her  home  and  she  became  the  ancestor  of  all  the  Indians 
belonging  to  the  bear  totem. 

The  carving  represents  the  agony  of  the  mother  in  suckling  this  rough  and 
uncouth  offspring. 

The  Haidas  believe  in  the  transmigration   of  the  soul   and  that  men  are 
merely  bears,  wolves,  ravens  and  the  like  transformed  into  men. 


THE    BEAB    MOTHER 


130 


THE    SIWASH 


Upon  examing  their  work  on  silver  and  copper  one  will  be  struck  by  the 
neatness  of  the  workmanship  as  well  as  the  oddness  of  the  designs  of  the  Haida 
smiths.  If  the  Haida  wishes  to  draw  the  picture  of  a  man  or  animal  on  a 
bracelet,  ring  or  breast  pin,  he  will  split  the  face  in  the  middle  and  draw  two 
side  views,  one  facing  the  other. 


'•:*>»  \         .vx 
•'  '      v-ii-tW^ 


HAIDA   CHILD   DANCE    AT   HOUKAN 

The  boxes,  food,  dishes,  implements,  in  short,  everything  used  by  the  Haida, 
are  richly  carved  or  painted  with  the  totems  of  owners,  and  illustrations  of  in- 
cidents of  their  lives,  or  legends  of  their  totems.  On  most  Haida  drawings  the 


SOME    NEIGHBORING    TRIBES  131 

eye  is  placed  on  the  breast,  ear,  foot,  etc.,  of  the  figure,  to  give  the  idea  of 
general  utility  of  the  power  of  each  number  to  look  out  for  itself. 

The  carved  box  of  black  slate  shown  in  the  illustration  has  a  sea  lion  on  each 
end.  Each  of  them  has  a  salmon  in  its  mouth.  The  face  on  the  side  of  the 
box  is  ' '  Hoots, ' '  the  brown  bear,  chewing  up  the  hunter,  and  represents  the 
same  bear  and  hunter  story  as  has  been  explained  in  connection  with  the  totem 
column  in  front  of  the  house. 

There  are  many  different  types  of  rattles  found  in  that  region,  the  one  given 
in  this  book  being  the  most  common  form  of  shamens  or  medicine  man's 
rattle.  It  is  carved  of  the  famous  yellow  cedar  wood  and  painted  in  several 
brilliant  colors.  The  carving  on  the  breast  represents  the  sparrow  hawk;  the 
tail  of  the  bird  is  carved  to  represent  another  bird's  head  with  a  frog  in  its 
mouth.  The  frog  is  supposed  to  possess  a  poison  in  his  head  that  the  medicine 
man  sucks  out  to  give  him  power  to  work  bad  spells. 

The  figure  on  the  back  is  Ka-ka-hete,  the  whistling  demon,  who  lived  in  the 
mountains.  He  was  capsized  while  traveling  in  his  canoe  one  day  and  nearly 
drowned.  He  swam  ashore  and  made  for  the  woods  for  shelter.  Some  times 
he  came  down  into  the  villages  and  stole  the  children,  which  he  took  into  the 
woods  with  him  and  ate.  In  later  times  he  transformed  himself  into  a  land 
otter.  The  two  figures  on  the  top  of  the  rattle  tell  a  story  of  Haida  love-making. 
The  front  figure  represents  the  boy,  while  the  other  one,  the  "  birdie,"  if  you 
please,  is  the  girl.  The  frog  passing  from  one  mouth  to  the  other  indicates  that 
a  lie  has  been  told  by  one  of  them,  and  from  the  direction  that  he  is  traveling  it 
appears  that  there,  as  elsewhere,  the  boy  had  to  bear  the  blame  of  it.  The 
rattle,  taken  as  a  whole,  represents  the  great  raven,  with  a  brand  of  fire  in  his 
mouth,  which  the  Haida  nations  worship  as  the  creator  and  benefactor  of  the 
human  race. 

Before  the  whites  came  among  them  the  Haidas  made  knives  and  daggers  ot 
stone  and  copper,  but  steel  is  mostly  used  among  them  now-a-days  for  such 
purposes.  The  daggers  shown  in  the  illustration  have  yellow  cedar  handles, 
and  each  has  carved  on  it  the  individual  totems  of  owner.  One  of  them  seems 
to  be  a  chief  of  the  beaver  tribe,  and  is  quite  eminent,  since  there  are  four  disks 
on  his  hat. 

The  Haida  tribes  are  rapidly  undergoing  a  change.  They  are  not  slow  to 
abandon  their  own  customs  and  adopt  the  methods  of  the  Europeans.  If 
scholars  wish  to  systematically  acquaint  themselves  with  the  interesting  tradi- 
tions of  these  people  as  illustrated  by  their  carving,  etching  and  painting,  they 
would  better  be  about  it.  Their  works  are  rapidly  deteriorating  in  the  face  of  the 
new  civilization  and  in  the  indifference  of  the  present  generation.  In  fact  the 
only  young  men  who  now  engage  in  such  pursuits  are  the  curi  omakers. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

TOTEMISM   AND    SUPERSTITIONS 

Those  who  have  read  of  the  wonderful  totemic  carvings  of  the  Haidas  will 
no  doubt  take  an  interest  in  the  peculiar  laws  and  customs,  and  the  strange 
moral  and  esthetical  standards  of  those  remarkable  people  of  tlie  North.  If 
judged  by  the  highest  standard  of  nineteenth  century  civilization,  these  people 
would  not  hold  a  very  high  position.  But  if  they  were  compared  to  surround- 
ing tribes  when  they  first  came  in  contact  with  whites,  the  thing  that  would  be 
noticed  most  is  the  great  progress  they  had  themselves  made  in  morals.  When 
first  visited  by  the  early  explorers  these  Indians,  like  all  the  other  Indians  on 
the  coast,  were  bold  shameless  thieves.  With  them  it  was  not  dishonorable  to 
steal,  and,  if  caught,  restitution  settled  the  matter.  On  the  other  hand  they 
discriminated  between  a  friend  and  an  enemy  and  seldom  or  never,  stole  from 
a  guest  and  never  robbed  one  of  their  own  totem  or  clan.  And  to  this  day  an 
unwatched  camp  or  an  unlocked  house  is,  with  them,  sacredly  respected,  and 
the  most  valuable  property  that  is  hid  in  the  woods  is  just  as  safe  from  other 
Indians  as  if  guarded  night  and  day.  Unfortunately  the  white  men  have  set 
some  very  bad  examples  in  this  respect  and  the  Indians  have  not  so  often  sinned 
as  they  have  been  sinned  against. 

In  many  of  their  race  characteristics  social  customs,  moral  standards  and 
traditions,  they  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  inhabitants  of  Japan,  and 
Tartary.  Like  them,  they  have  great  respect  for  the  aged,  whose  advice  in 
most  matters  has  great  weight.  Some  of  the  older  women,  even  bondwomen 
in  former  times,  attain  great  influence  in  the  tribe  as  soothsayers,  due  as  much 
to  their  venerable  appearance  as  to  any  pretense  they  may  make  of  working 
medicine  charms.  They  are  remarkably  fond  of  and  indulgent  to  their  children, 
rarely  chastising  them.  Between  the  sexes  the  rights  of  women  are  respected 
and  the  terms  of  equality  on  which  the  men  and  women  live  are  very  striking 
to  most  visitors  of  the  region.  Although  marriage  is  essentially  by  purchase, 
and  the  question  of  morality  of  the  wife  solely  one  of  sanction  by  the  husband, 
yet  even  this  restriction  is  centuries  in  advance  of  their  Northern  neighbors 
where  promiscuity  and  the  most  bestial  practices  prevail.  The  early  voyagers 
invariably  mentioned  Haidas  as  modest  and  reserved  in  bearing.  The  moral 


TOTEMISM    AND    SUPERSTITION 


133 


virtues  of  these  people  have  faded  considerably  in  the  presence  of  the  new  civil- 
ization with  its  artificial  needs  of  finery  and  luxuries.  The  vices  of  civilization 
have  had  a  most  demoralizing  effect  on  the  inhabitants  of  Queen  Charlotte  and 
the  Prince  of  Wales  islands.  Like  most  savages  they  are  inveterate  gamblers 
and  have  a  strong  craving  for  tobacco  and  alcohol.  In  their  disregard  for  the 
lives  of  slaves  and  in  their  practice  of  acquitting  murderers  or  other  criminals 
by  exacting  the  payment  of  indemnity  to  the  relatives  of  the  injured,  is  seen 
simply  the  customs,  the  operations  of  which,  with  them,  has  the  force  of  law. 
Murder,  seduction,  the  refusal  to  marry  a  widow  according  to  law,  causes  general 
war,  but  any  wrong  may  be  righted  by  the  paying  of  an  indemnity  of  the 
region.  In  writing  of  this  subject  Sir  James  Douglas,  governor  of  British 
Columbia,  during  the  administration  of  the  Hudsons  Bay  company,  says:  "  If 
unmarried  women  prove  frail,  the  partner  of  their  guilt  is  bound  to  make  repara- 
tion to  the  parents,  soothing  their  wounded  honor  with  handsome  presents.  A 
failure  to  do  this  would  cause  the  friends  of  the  offending  fair  one  to  use  force 

to  back  up  their  demands  and  to  revenge 
the  insult.  It  must  not,  however,  be  sup- 
posed they  would  be  induced  to  act  this 
part  from  any  sense  of  reflected  shame,  or 
from  any  desire  of  discouraging  vice  by 
making  a  severe  example  of  the  vicious,  or 
deem  the  girl  the  worse  for  the  accident,  or 
her  character  in  any  way  blemished.  Such 
are  not  their  feelings,  for  the  offender  is 

simP1>r  resarded  as  a  robber  wh° has  com- 

mitted  depredations  on  their  merchandise, 
their  only  anxiety  being  to  make  the  dam- 
ages exacted  as  heavy  as  possible." 

To  such  an  extent  was  this  question  of 
indemnity  carried,  that  when  the  Russians 
tried  to  interefere  with  the  killing  of  slaves  on  ceremonial  occasions,  they  were 
only  successful  in  preventing  it  by  ransoming  the  proposed  victim.  And  many 
were  the  exactions  of  the  Indians  for  damages  on  account  of  the  accidental 
deaths  in  the  employ  of  whites. 

Along  with  the  other  artistic  characteristics  of  these  people,  they  are  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  singing  and  dancing.  Some  of  them  have  rich  voices.  Their 
rude,  savage  songs  are  not  without  melody  and  many  of  their  weird  dances,  by 
the  music  of  various  shaped  and  boistrous  drums,  exhibit  considerable  art, 
especially  of  imitation.  Their  imitations  of  various  birds  and  wild  animals, 
darting  in  all  directions,  screaming  like  seagulls,  howling  like  wolves  and 
screeching  like  wild  geese,  imitating  the  fierce,  harsh  music  of  the  brown  bear, 


HAIDA   THUNDER-MASK 


134  THE    SIWASH 

the  cries  of  great  eagles  and  ravens,  are  all  worthy  of  special  mention.  They 
bathe  frequently  in  the  sea,  but  on  the  other  hand,  continually  daub  their  faces, 
bodies  and  heads  with  grease  and  paint.  However,  this  latter  custom  is  largely 
disappearing  except  on  ceremonial  occasions.  They  were  formerly  indifferent 
to  the  stench  of  decaying  animal  matter,  but  have  improved  wonderfully  in  re- 
cent years.  They  are  still  indifferent  to  the  sanitary  laws  of  ventilation  and 
betray  a  great  fondness  for  putrid  salmon  and  herring  noses,  and  rancid  fish 
and  seal  grease.  A  visit  to  many  of  the  Haida  houses  where  they  have  not 
come  to  using  stoves  is  still  quite  a  trying  ordeal  to  the  uninitiated. 

Totemism  governs  the  whole  tribal  organization  of  the  Indians  on  Queen 
Charlotte  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  islands.  The  ceremonies  at  birth,  initiation, 
naming,  matrimony,  feasting,  dancing,  funerals  and  all  other  social  occasions, 
have  for  their  object,  in  some  way,  the  identity  of  the  phratery,  more  than  ot 
the  totem  or  the  carved  image  of  the  animal  chosen  to  represent  him. 

Birth-rights,  such  as  property,  rank  wealth,  etc.,  are  received  from  the 
mother.  The  question  as  to  who  is  the  father  of  a  child  is  of  but  little  impor- 
tance. The  household  is  not  the  unit  of  the  totem  or  of  the  phratery,  as  more 
than  one  totem  is  represented  in  each,  the  father  belonging  to  one  totem  and 
the  mother  to  another.  Besides  this,  a  brother  and  his  wife  may  belong  to  the 
househould,  or  a  sister  and  her  husband;  thus  numerous  totems  may  be  repre- 
sented under  one  roof. 

In  the  ordinary  sense  there  is  no  absolute  chieftainship.  The  family  is  the 
political  unit.  The  richest  head  of  a  household  or  the  one  who  has  the  greatest 
number  of  influential  relations  predominates  over  the  rest  and  is  nominally  the 
chief  of  the  village.  His  authority  is  shadowy  and  is  dependent  largely,  aside 
from  wealth  and  family  influence,  on  personal  prowess  in  time  of  war,  or  on  an 
aggressive  personality.  In  short  the  prominence  of  the  chief  is  all  that  he  can 
make  it  by  the  arts  of  assertion,  bargain,  intrigue,  wealth,  display  and  per- 
sonal prowess.  There  are  also  petty  chiefs  who  represent  the  principal  clan 
totems  or  households.  For  each  household  is  with  them  a  subordinate  govern- 
ment. The  head  chief  merely  overshadows  in  the  extent  of  his  influence,  the 
petty  chiefs.  Often  reverses  of  fortune  turns  the  tables  so  that  some  decline  in 
influence,  while  others  rise  in  importance.  Often  the  medicine  men  or  shamens 
unite  with  the  chiefs  to  strengthen  each  other  in  the  fear  and  respect  of  the 
people.  And  bitter  are  many  of  the  feuds  arising  from  the  rivalries  of  house- 
holds struggling  for  power  in  the  tribe. 

As  a  rule  a  chief  is  not  treated  with  any  marked  deference  except  upon  cere- 
monial occasions  when  many  marks  of  respect  are  shown  him.  When  engaged 
in  treaty-making  it  is  common  to  see  him  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  his  attend- 
ants, as  well  as  being  made  the  central  figure  of  many  pompous  ceremonies. 
Slavery  was  common  among  them  up  to  the  acquisition  of  Alaska  by  the 


TOTEMISM    AND    SUPERSTITION  135 

United  States  government  in  1867.  The  slaves  did  all  the  drudgery,  fished 
and  hunted  for  their  master;  and  strengthened  his  forces  in  time  of  war.  When 
they  were  too  old  to  work  they  were  for  the  most  part  killed  and  many  of  them 
were  sacrificed  on  ceremonial  occasions.  They  were  never  allowed  to  marry  or 
hold  property. 

Councils  were  usually  called  only  on  occasions  or  necessity,  there  being  no 
stated  period  for  them.  Women  usually  had  as  much  to  say  in  these  meetings 
as  men,  especially  on  questions  of  trade,  when  their  advice  was  always  given 
whether  it  was  sought  or  not.  However,  they  usually  kept  mum  on  ceremonial 
occasions.  In  these  deliberative  bodies  they  sit  in  a  squatting  position  with 
legs  crossed  and  deliver  formal  speeches  in  turn  which  are  heard  with  wrapt  at- 
tention and  approved  by  grunts  and  various  other  signs. 

In  the  division  of  labor  men  and  women  are  quite  nearly  equal  among  the 
Haidas.  The  men  are  the  warriors  and  hunters  although  a  women  of  rank 
generally  steers  the  war  canoe.  The  different  kinds  of  work  are  usually  divided 
among  the  people  according  to  their  skill.  Some  are  exclusively  implement 
makers,  others  are  wood  carvers,  and  many  of  the  women  follow  basket  making 
as  a  trade.  Every  chief  keeps  a  man  employed  constantly  as  a  canoe  maker. 
A  visitor  to  a  Haida  camp  will  be  struck  with  the  apparent  equality  of  the 
sexes.  The  woman  is  always  free  with  advice,  and  a  distinguished  traveler  has 
said  cases  of  ' '  hen-pecked ' '  husbands  are  not  rare. 

Very  peculiar  laws  of  inheritance  and  relationship  exist  among  the  Haida 
people.  First  cousins  may  marry,  but  totally  unrelated  persons  of  the  same 
phratery  cannot.  In  wars  between  households  a  groom  may  be  called  upon  to 
bear  arms  against  his  father-in-law  on  account  of  some  feud  of  trifling  impor- 
tance. Poligamy  is  tolerated  but  seldom  practiced. 

Property  is  inherited  by  the  brother  of  the  deceased,  a  brother's  son,  a  sister's 
son,  or  the  mother  in  the  order  named  in  the  absence  of  the  preceding  one.  As 
a  rule  the  wife  gets  nothing  but  her  own  dowry.  Whoever  inherits  the  prop- 
erty, if  he  be  a  brother  or  a  brother's  or  sister's  son,  must  either  marry  the 
widow  or  pay  an  indemnity  to  her  relatives.  In  case  the  heir  is  already  mar- 
ried, the  next  in  succession  takes  her;  for  instance,  the  brother  may  inherit  the 
property  and  the  nephew  get  the  widow.  It  will  be  observed  that  by  the  laws 
and  customs  of  the  Haidas,  they  not  only  prevent  the  accumulation  of  wealth 
and  power  in  one  branch  of  a  family  and  allow  it  to  grow  opulent,  corrupt  and 
rotten,  but  provide  for  the  widows  as  well.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  heir  within  a 
year  after  the  cremation  or  burial  of  the  deceased  to  erect  a  commemorative 
column  at  the  grave  or  elsewhere  in  honor  of  him.  It  usually  contains  his 
crest  or  sub- totem  at  the  top  and  recites  some  of  the  leading  incidents  of  his  life. 
Among  the  Haidas  conjugal  virtues  have  only  a  commercial  value.  They  are 
something  to  be  bought  and  sold.  One  Haida  thinks  nothing  of  selling  his 


136  THE    SIWASH 

wife  to  another  provided  he  can  get  his  price.  And  cases  of  one  Indian  renting 
his  wife  to  another  are  very  common. 

Mr.  McL/eod  tells  the  story  of  a  case  of  this  kind  shortly  after  the  establish- 
ment of  a  justice  court  at  Houkan.  It  was,  by  the  way,  the  first  case  that  was 
called  for  trial  in  said  court.  One  Indian  was  quite  deeply  indebted  to  the  other, 
so  in  order  to  satisfy  the  debt  he  rented  his  wife  to  his  creditor  for  a  couple  of 
weeks.  At  the  expiration  of  the  appointed  time  the  Indian  refused  to  return 
the  wife  to  her  rightful  owner,  and  the  injured  husband  appealed  to  the  strong 
arm  of  American  law  to  recover  his  property. 

Tatooing  on  the  breast  and  arms  of  Haidas  is  quite  general.  They  are 
usually  representations  of  some  totem  and  commemorate  deeds  and  adventures 
of  their  lives.  The  women  usually  wear  earrings  and  bracelets,  and  rings  are 
often  worn  through  the  noses  of  chiefs. 

Although  the  methods  of  sepulture  have  changed  in  recent  years,  the  cere- 
monies remain  much  as  they  formerly  were.  On  the  demise  of  an  important 
personage  it  is  customary  to  array  the  body  in  ceremonial  apparel  and  surround 
it  with  the  tokens  of  his  or  her  wealth.  Thus  laid  out  in  state  the  relatives  and 
friends  view  the  remains.  In  case  that  it  is  a  great  chief  who  is  well-known, 
Indians  come  from  other  villages,  and  the  body  is  thus  displayed  until  in  an  ad- 
vanced stage  of  decomposition,  when  the  final  rites  take  place.  In  former  times 
many  of  the  slaves  of  the  deceased  were  dispatched  at  the  funeral.  During  the 
first  day's  ceremonines  the  body  was  borne  to  the  pyre,  which  had  been  con. 
structed  in  the  rear  of  some  house  formerly  owned  by  the  deceased,  and  reduced 
to  ashes.  In  the  meantime  the  mourners  gathered  themselves  around  the  pyre 
and  with  painted  faces,  their  hair  cut  short,  and  their  heads  sprinkled  with 
eagles'  down  they  bewailed  in  the  most  dismal  manner,  the  loss  of  their  kins- 
man. The  service  usually  closes  with  a  feast.  The  ashes  were  preserved  and 
deposited  in  a  box  near  the  top  of  the  commemorative  column  erected  in  honor 
of  the  deceased.  In  recent  times  the  burial  custom  has  taken  the  place  of  cre- 
mation. 

The  houses  of  the  Haidas  are  remarkable  for  their  strength  and  comfort. 
Their  frame  consists  of  huge  logs,  often  two  or  more  feet  in  diameter,  as  posts 
planted  securely  in  the  ground,  and  large  log  plates  of  equal  proportions  rest- 
ing on  them.  The  remainder  of  the  frame  is  heavy  and  strong  in  proportion. 
The  posts  are  so  beveled  in  the  sides  that  they  hold  the  hewn  planks  in  posi- 
tion, that  compose  the  wall,  while  those  that  constitute  the  roof  are  held  in 
place  by  the  weight  of  rocks.  The  smoke  holes  are  so  arranged  that  protection 
can  readily  be  shifted  from  one  side  to  the  other  so  that  the  wind  won't  blow 
down  through  it.  The  dimensions  of  these  houses  are  often  18x20  feet,  and  12 
or  15  feet  high.  The  various  timbers  are  placed  in  position  by  the  aid  of  rope 
guys.  The  work  of  building  a  house  often  extends  over  a  period  of  several 


TOTEMISM    AND    SUPERSTITION 


137 


years,  as  most  of  the  timbers  are  very  heavy  to  handle  by  hand  and  must  be 
carved  before  being  placed  in  position.  Great  crowds  are  employed  in  building 
these  houses  and  great  festivities  are  indulged  in  on  the  days  occupied  in  the 
raising  of  the  huge  timber  into  position,  corresponding  to  our  lifting-bees,  so 
common  in  the  rural  districts.  The  houses  are  generally  made  of  Sitka  spruce 
and  yellow  cedar  wood. 

The  great  totem  columns  in  front  of  the  houses  are  usually  upwards  of  two 
feet  in  diameter  and  vary  considerably  in  height.  They  are  for  the  most  part 
carved  out  of  yellow  cedar  wood  by  the  native  artist  employed  for  the  occasion 
to  commemorate  the  great  achievements  of  the  wealthy  house-holder,  to  cele- 
brate the  glory  of  his  ancestors  and  record  the  more  interesting  traditions  of 
his  totem. 

These  columns  are  never  taken  down  or  removed,  but  are  allowed  to  stand 
until,  in  many  places,  only  the  decayed  stump  remains.  In  Houkan  large  num- 
bers of  totem  columns  are  standing  where  the  houses  have  long  since  fallen 
down  and  many  of  them  will  be  found  in  dense  thickets.  There  is  one  in  front 
of  the  residence  of  Rev.  J.  L,.  Gould  that  has  quite  a  spruce  tree  growing  in  the 
top  of  it.  The  tall  columns  shown  in  the  illustration,  in  front  of  the  houses, 
record  the  adventures,  genealogy  and  legends  of  the  owner,  and  his  totem.  The 
shorter  ones  at  the  corners  of  the  houses,  and  in  grave  yards,  are  commemora- 
tive columns  erected  in  honor  of  a  former  occupant  of  the  house. 

No  one  is  allowed  to  execute  these  carvings  among  the  Haidas  until  he  has 
first  had  the  medicine  inoculated  into  his  fingers  by  the  shamens. 


SKAMSON   THE   THUNDERER — HAI- 
DA  TATOOIN& 


Jl   * 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

MYTHOLOGY   AND   NATIVE   HISTORY 

The  column  with  the  great  heads  on  top,  shown  in  the  illustration,  tells  quite 
an  interesting  story.  It  is  variously  told  in  different  localities,  however,  the 
versions  differ  only  in  the  minor  details. 

The  top  group  represents  the  head  of  an  European  with  whitened  face  and 
long  black  beard,  flanked  on  either  side  by  children  wearing  tall  hats,  and  rep- 
resents the  following  legend: 

A  very  long  time  ago  a  chief's  wife  left  the  temporary  camp  used  by  the 
Indians  during  the  summer  season,  and  taking  her  two  small  children  with  her 
she  went  in  a  small  fishing  canoe  across  the  narrows  to  get  some  spruce  boughs 
on  which  salmon  eggs  could  be  collected.  She  drew  up  her  canoe  on  the  beach 
and  warned  her  children  not  to  wander  off.  On  her  return  nothing  was  seen 
of  the  children,  they  having  disappeared.  Many  times  she  called  to  them,  and 
they  always  answered  her  from  the  woods  with  voices  of  crows.  Always  when 
she  sought  them,  two  crows  mocked  her  from  the  trees.  The  children  never 
returned  and  it  was  said  that  a  white  trader  kidnaped  them  and  carried  them 
off  in  his  ship.  The  face  with  the  beard  represents  the  European,  and  the  fig- 
ures on  either  side  are  the  kidnaped  children  which  he  is  taking  away  with 
him. 

Whether  or  not  this  story  was  founded  on  facts  cannot  be  learned  definitely. 
However,  some  form  of  it  is  found  in  nearly  every  Haida  village,  and  as  a 
nursery  tale  to  frighten  refractory  children  it  is  a  great  favorite. 

Next  proceeding  down  the  column  is  Hootzy,  the  wolf,  and  the  children,  and 
below  it  is  the  mother  bent  over  and  weeping  bitterly.  The  woman,  Kitsinao, 
of  the  crow  totem,  had  many  children  and  was  very  proud  of  them  (many  with 
the  Haida  means  more  than  four).  She  scoffed  at  the  woman  of  the  wolf 
totem  who  had  but  one  puny  child.  The  feelings  of  the  woman  were  wounded 
so  she  appealed  to  her  totem  for  protection  and  aid.  A  band  of  huge  Siberian 
wolves  at  once  descended  from  the  woods  that  line  the  borders  of  those  great 
hills  and  killed  all  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  crow  mother.  The  mother 
was  very  sad  and  sat  down  on  a  rock  and  wept  bitterly  all  the  days  of  her  life. 
In  time  she  became  incorporated  with  it  and  to  this  day  a  traveler  on  the  Prince 
of  Wales  island  who  chances  to  call  into  American  bay  will  see  this  modern 
Niobe  bent  over  and  weeping  bitterly.  The  Haida  asks  no  questions  as  to  the 
authenticity  of  these  stories,  the  fact  that  they  have  been  carved  on  wood  and 
slate,  and  that  the  said  rock  is  in  existence  is  conclusive  proof  to  him. 

Next  comes  the  story  of  the  seagull,  the  beaver,  and  the  beaver's  daughter. 

At  one  time  there  lived  on  the  solitary  shore  of  Daal  island  a  beaver  with 
his  only  daughter,  Cawk.  His  wife  had  long  been  dead  and  the  two  had  led 


140 


THE    SIWASH 


a  quiet  life  together.  Cawk  grew  to  be  a  handsome  girl  and  all  the  youths  01 
Houkan,  as  well  as  others  from  far  and  near  came  to  sue  for  her  hand,  but  none 
of  them  could  touch  her  proud  heart.  Finally,  at  the  thawing  of  the  snow  in 
the  spring,  a  great  seagull  flew  over  the  sea  to  the  beaver's  house  and  wooed 
Miss  Calk  with  his  enticing  song: 

Come  to  me  !     Come  into  the  land  of  the  birds  where  there  is  never  hunger, 

Where  my  house  is  made  of  the  most  beautiful  woods, 

You  shall  rest  on  soft  bear  skins. 

My  companions,  the  gulls,  shall  bring  you  food. 

Their  feathers  shall  clothe  you, 

Your  fire  shall  always  be  supplied  with  fuel. 

Your  basket  shall  always  be  filled  with  meat. 


HAIDA   GRAVE   YARD — SHOWING   TOTEM   OF   DEAD 

Cawk  could  not  long  resist  such  wooing  and  they  went  together  over  the  vast 
sea.  When  at  last  they  reached  the  country  in  which  the  gull  had  his  home, 
Cawk  discovered  that  her  spouse  had  shamefully  deceived  her.  Her  new  home 
was  not  built  of  beautiful  woods,  but  was  only  a  tent  of  fish  skins,  which  were 
full  of  holes.  It  was  a  most  wretched  place  that  gave  free  entrance  to  wind 
and  snow.  Instead  of  soft  bear  skins,  her  bed  was  made  of  miserable  hard 
hair-seal  hides,  and  her  only  food  was  the  disgusting,  half  rotten  fish  which 
the  birds  brought  her.  Too  soon  she  discovered  that  she  had  thrown  away  her 
opportunities  when,  in  her  foolish  pride,  she  had  rejected  the  Houkan  youth. 
In  her  woe  she  sang: 

Sung !     Oh,  Father: 

If  you  knew  how  wretched  I  am  you  would  come  to  me  and  we  would  hurry 
away  in  your  canoe  over  the  waters. 

The  birds  look  unkindly  upon  a  stranger  in  their  camp. 

Cold  winds  roar  about  my  bed. 

They  give  me  miserable  food. 

Oh,  come  father,  and  take  me  home  again. 

When  a  year  was  passed  all  the  sea  was  again  stirred  by  warmer  winds,  the 
father  left  his  home  opposite  Houkan  to  visit  his  daughter  Cawk.  His  daugh- 


MYTHOLOGY    AND    NATIVE    HISTORY  141 

ter  greeted  him  joyfully  and  begged  of  him  to  take  her  back  home.  The 
father  hearing  of  the  outrages  wrought  upon  his  daughter  determined  upon 
revenge.  He  killed  the  gull,  took  Cawk  into  his  canoe  and  quickly  left  the 
country  which  had  brought  so  much  sorrow  to  the  daughter.  When  the  other 
gulls  came  home  and  found  their  companion  dead  and  his  wife  gone,  they  all 
flew  away  in  search  of  the  fugitives.  They  were  very  sad  over  the  death  of 
their  poor  murdered  comrade  and  continue  to  mourn  and  cry  until  this  day. 

Having  flown  a  short  distance  they  saw  the  canoe  and  stirred  up  a  heavy 
storm.  The  sea  rose  in  immense  waves  and  threatened  the  pair  with  destruc- 
tion. In  this  mortal  peril  the  selfish  father  determined  to  offer  Cawk  to  the 
birds  and  flung  her  overboard.  She  clung  to  the  edge  of  the  canoe  with  a 
death  grip.  The  cruel  father  then  took  a  knife  and  cut  off  the  joints  of  her 
fingers.  The  joint  of  the  first  finger  falling  into  the  sea  was  transformed  into 
a  whale,  and  the  nail  became  whale  bone.  The  joints  of  the  second  finger 
became  grampuses,  or  killers,  while  the  nail  was  transformed  into  those  great 
fins  which  are  so  conspicuous  in  the  Haida's  representation  of  the  killer.  The 
remainder  of  the  joints  swam  away  as  salmon,  herring,  codfish,  sea  otters,  hair 
seals,  and  fur  seals.  In  the  meantime  the  storm  had  abated  for  the  gulls 
thought  Cawk  was  drowned.  The  father  then  allowed  her  to  come  into  the 
boat  again.  Bnt  from  that  time  she  cherished  a  deadly  hatred  against  him  and 
swore  bitter  revenge.  After  they  got  ashore  she  called  her  totem  guardians, 
the  wolves,  and  let  them  gnaw  off  the  feet  and  hands  of  her  father,  while  he 
was  asleep.  Upon  waking  the  beaver  cursed  himself,  his  daughter  and  the 
wolves  which  had  thus  crippled  him  ;  whereupon  the  earth  opened  and  swal- 
lowed the  hut,  the  father,  the  daughter  and  the  wolves. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  column  just  described  may  be  said  to  be  purely  legend- 
ary, yet  it  seems  quite  generally  to  refer  to  the  wolf  totem. 

In  front  of  the  residence  of  Chief  Schooltka  is  also  a  column  that  is  full  of 
interest.  It  was  erected  by  himself  and  the  carvings  were  executed  with  steel 
instruments,  so  that  superior  designs  and  neater  workmanship  have  been 
obtained. 

At  the  top  of  it  is  his  crest  or  sub-totem,  the  eagle.  The  various  carvings 
trace  in  a  general  way  the  history  of  family  for  several  generations  back,  such 
as  marriages  of  one  totem  with  another.  For  instance,  the  bear  to  the  eagle, 
the  wolf  to  the  raven,  etc.  It  also  indicates  the  number  of  children  in  each 
family,  and  the  manner  of  death  that  ended  their  lives  by  some  conventional 
means  that  is  readily  understood  by  the  Haida.  About  midway  down  the  pole 
is  a  rude  representation  of  a  Russian  priest  of  the  Greek  church  with  his  hands 
folded  across  his  breast  in  reverential  manner,  with  crude  images  of  angels 
around  him  and  beneath  it  is  the  only  legend  carved  on  the  column,  it  is  the 
bear  and  butterfly  story,  which  is  worth  repeating: 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

YAI/TH,  AND  THE   BUTTERFLY 

In  the  beginning,  when  Yalth,  the  great  raven,  the  friend  and  benefactor  of 
the  human  race,  was  looking  for  a  good  region  for  men  to  occupy,  the  butterfly 
hovered  over  his  head  as  he  flew.  When  he  came  to  the  country  now  occupied 
by  the  Haida  nations,  the  butterfly  pointed  with  his  proboscis  to  the  good 
lands  and  said,  "Where  the  bear  are,  there  salmon,  sprouts  and  good  living 
will  be  found  in  abundance;  "  so  that  accounts  for  the  residence  of  the  Haidas 
on  the  Prince  of  Wales  island,  and  for  bear  living  so  plentifully  in  that 
region. 

At  the  base  of  the  column  is  the  beaver,  the  totem  of  Schooltka's  wife  and 
children. 

At  one  corner  of  his  house  is  a  commemorative  column  somewhat  shorter 
than  the  totem  column  erected  to  his  memory.  Among  other  events  pictured 
on  the  incotnpleted  column  is  his  cordial  welcome  to  the  missionary  and  the 
children  with  books  in  their  hands,  illustrate  quite  truthfully  the  attitude 
toward  the  whites  of  this  most  truly  noble  Indian  of  the  Haida  race.  He  was 
always  the  friend  of  the  white  man,  and  when  the  Rev.  J.  L,.  Gould,  the  Pres- 
byterian missionary  arrived  in  the  village,  he  received  a  warm  welcome  from 
Schooltka.  His  comfortable  house  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  mission- 
ary and  his  family,  and  the  mission  school  was  conducted  there  for  several 
years.  The  chief  has  now  been  dead  several  years,  but  leaves  a  wife  who 
possesses  many  of  his  good  qualities  and  shares  in  his  friendship  for  the 
whites. 

A  visit  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Schooltka  would  not  be  without  interest.  The 
house  is  a  modern  form  of  Haida  dwelling,  covering  quite  an  extensive  area 
and  two  stories  in  height,  but  constructed  of  huge  timbers  and  hewed  boards 
in  Haida  fashion.  One  wishing  to  enter  is  conducted  down  several  steps  to  the 
door,  which  opens  on  the  first  floor,  which  is  several  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
ground.  One  large  room  includes  all  the  lower  portion  of  the  house.  The 
great  posts  which  compose  its  massive  frame  are  richly  carved  and  painted 
with  various  traditions  of  the  race,  tribe  and  family.  Slate  and  wood  carving 


YALTH,  AND    THE    BUTTERFLY 


rattles,  carved  instruments,  models  of  various  shaped  canoes  and  soldier  clothes 
are  scattered  hither  and  thither.  There  is  a  stage-like  platform  about  six  feet 
in  width  reaching  quite  around  a  room  which  is  only  partially  lighted  by  two 
windows  in  the  front  of  the  house.  In  the  center  of  the  room  a  large  box  stove 
has  taken  the  place  of  the  crude  fireplace  and  smoke  hole  of  their  more  savage 
days.  In  one  corner  is  a  modern  cooking  stove  with  its  pots,  kettles,  pans, 
skillets,  etc. ,  showing  that  civilized  methods  of  cooking  have  superceded  the 
old  way  of  cooking  meat  and  fish  on  sticks,  or  by  roasting  in  holes  dug  in  the 
ground  under  a  hot  fire.  Mrs.  Schooltka  has  found  an  easier  way  of  boiling 
her  food  than  by  putting  it  in  a  water-tight  basket,  covering  it  with  water  and 
casting  hot  stones  into  it.  But  after  all  the  most  strikingly  interesting  figure 
in  the  room  is  Mrs.  Schooltka  herself.  In  stature  she  is  short  and  stout, 
though  her  figure  is  by  no  means  repulsive.  She  possesses  a  very  alert  expres- 
sion of  countenance  and  her  face  is  on  the 
whole  pleasing.  Though  about  40  years 
of  age,  one  would  think  her  very  much 
younger,  owing  to  the  absence  of  wrinkles 
in  her  face.  She  takes  a  keen  interest 
in  everything,  and  never  tires  of  telling 
stories  of  her  late  husband.  A  visitor 
would  no  doubt  be  much  amused  at  the 
very  indefinite  idea  of  time  which  these 
Indians  have.  Thus,  if  this  good,  but 
simple-minded  woman  is  asked  how  long 
she  lived  with  her  husband,  her  answer 
will  be,  in  mixed  English  and  Chinook, 
"  Klo-nass,  ni-ka  ha-lo,  cum-tux;  nika 
turn-turn  klone  hundred  years,"  mean- 
ing that  she  was  not  sure,  but  thought 
she  had  lived  with  him  about  300  years. 
There  is  one  thing  in  which  the  Haidas  differ  widely  from  other  Indians: 
they  are  not  fond  of  bright  colors  in  their  clothing,  black  being  always  pre- 
ferred. Even  in  their  shawls  and  handkerchiefs  they  prefer  that  they  be  black 
or  some  other  conservative  color.  Missionary  societies  sending  them  second- 
handed  clothing  make  a  great  mistake  in  this  particular. 

Though  the  Haidas  are  as  fond  of  display  as  formerly  their  ceremonial 
dances,  in  which  the  whole  tribe  engaged,  are  now  rare,  in  fact  they  have  not 
been  seen  for  several  years.  The  spirit  of  imitation  has  taken  hold  of  the 
Haida  and  he  now  copies  the  methods  of  Europeans  in  such  matters.  Most  of 
the  petty  chiefs  have  been  to  Victoria,  B.  C.,  and  seen  the  soldiers  drill.  They 
have  also  witnessed  the  operations  of  the  fire  department  of  that  place. 


MRS.  SCHOOLTKA,  WHO  LIVED  300  YEARS 
WITH  HER  HUSBAND 


144 


THE    SIWASH 


Copying  British  styles  they  have  uniformed  themselves  with  red  coats,  form- 
ing quite  a  large  army,  and  have  a  brilliantly  uniformed  fire  company.  Their 
parades  are  frequent  and  they  present  a  very  self-important,  if  not  formidable, 
appearance  as  they  march  proudly  along,  keeping  time  to  the  wild,  grand 
music  of  the  tribes,  their  own  boisterous  drums,  and  the  native  whistles  and 
trumpets,  through  their  rough  narrow  streets, 
performing  various  evolutions  and  halting  to 
drill.  Indifferent  whether  armed  with  guns  or 
sticks,  many  of  the  swords  of  the  officers  being 
of  wood,  they  draw  up  in  line,  go  through  the 
facings,  marching  and  counter-marching,  the 
manual  of  arms  and  various  other  exercises. 
Conspicuous  on  such  occasions  is  Mr.  John, 
whose  portrait  is  here  presented.  He  is  very 
ambitious  to  become  one  of  the  general  officers 
of  the  army.  So,  as  often  as  the  drilling  day 
comes  around  he  calls  on  the  Rev.  Gould,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  late  civil  war,  for  instruc- 
tions in  military  tactics.  On  one  occasion  the 
good  man  asked  him  if  he  expected  to  learn  in 
a  moment  what  it  took  him  (Mr.  Gould)  three 
years  to  learn.  This  discouraged  Mr.  John 
for  a  time,  but  he  soon  recovered  and  is  now 
occasionally  a  military  pupil  of  Mr.  Gould's. 
The  parades  of  the  fire  company  are  pompous 
and  magnificent,  but  damaging  stories  are  told 
of  them  so  far  as  their  real  usefulness  is  con- 
cerned. One  evening  Mr.  E.  T.  McLeod  looked  out  of  the  door  of  his  store 
and  beheld  one  of  the  Indian's  houses  in  flames.  With  the  aid  of  a  fire  ex- 
tinguisher and  a  little  water  he  quickly  quenched  the  blaze  before  the  fire 
company  arrived.  The  Indians  who  composed  the  company  were  very  angry 
with  him  for  not  waiting  until  they  could  get  their  suits  on  and  reach  the  scene 
in  dress  parade  uniform.  The  latter  incident  illustrates  the  childish  notions  of 
a  savage  race  capable  of  a  high  degree  of  cultivation. 


SILVER  AND  COPPER  ORNAMENTS 
HAIDA  INDIANS 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

POTLATCH    AND    DEVIL    DANCE 

The  potlatch  was  the  greatest  institution  of  the  Indian,  and  is  to  this  day. 
It  was  the  crowning  glory  of  the  Indian  life  and  worth  the  meade  of  a  thousand 
victories  over  the  foe.  It  was  the  ambition  of  the  hyas  tyee,  the  politics  of  every 
ruler  who  could  secure  wealth  enough  to  accomplish  the  great  and  glorious  end. 
It  impoverished  the  giver  but  brought  gladness  to  the  hearts  of  the  people,  and 
honor  ever  after  to  him  who  gave.  It  was  a  beautiful  custom;  beautiful  in  the 
eyes  of  the  natives  of  high  or  low  degree,  confined  to  no  particular  tribe  but  to 
be  met  with  everywhere  along  the  coast.  It  no  doubt  had  its  origin  far  back 
in  the  misty  past.  Come  from  whence  —  who  can  tell  ?  Perhaps,  through  the 
generations  of  the  world  down  through  all  the  ups  and  downs  and  changes  and 
variation  of  mankind,  keeping  step  with  that  most  beautiful  of  all  civilized  cus- 
toms, the  gifts  of  Yuletide,  for  Christ's  sake,  and  perchance  the  very  same  ori- 
gin marked  the  beginning  of  both. 

Before  the  introduction  of  the  cloths  and  implements  of  civilized  man,  the 
simple  native  satisfied  himself  and  the  people  by  giving  of  those  things  he 
could  gather  from  the  chase  or  manufacture  by  his  crude  arts.  Skins  of  wild 
animals  fancifully  wrought  and  colored,  the  wild  ponies  of  his  herds,  bows  and 
arrows,  his  canoes,  everything  he  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  the  potlatch  which 
meant  a  gift,  to  give,  etc.  When  he  was  enabled  to  get  blankets,  knives,  guns, 
etc.,  from  the  whites  the  potlatch  took  a  wider  range  and  not  even  the  glitter- 
ing yellow  gold  was  spared  the  sacrifice.  The  great  day  set  so  many  suns  or 
moons  ahead,  arrived,  great  was  the  interest  and  excitement  of  the  occasion. 
From  far  and  near  assembled  the  invited  guests  and  tribes  and  with  feasting, 
singing,  chanting  and  dancing,  the  bounteous  collection  was  distributed;  a  chief 
was  made  penniless,  the  wealth  of  a  lifetime  was  dissipated  in  an  hour,  but  his 
head  forever  after  was  crowned  with  the  glory  of  a  satisfied  ambition;  he  had 
won  the  honor  and  reverence  of  the  people. 

The  gifts  were  not  always  preserved  by  the  recipients,  especially  with  some 
of  the  Sound  tribes  for  it  was  a  work  of  a  noble  unselfish  brave  to  immediately 
destroy  whatever  had  been  thrown  to  him.  So  it  was  that  fine  new  blankets, 
guns,  bows  and  arrows  and  the  like  were  often  destroyed  scarcely  before  they 
touched  the  ground.  At  the  Old-Man-House  potlatches  have  been  given  within 


146  THE    SIWASH 

the  residency  of  the  whites  when  the  frenzied  Indians  have  fallen  upon  a  shower 
of  gifts  and  soon  had  them  entirely  destroyed.  The  blankets,  easily  secured  by 
barter  with  the  Hudsons  Bay  company's  agents,  were  usually  hung  up  and  with 
knives  and  daggers  would  in  a  twinkling  be  slashed  and  cut  into  hundreds  of 
fragments  and  strips.  The  blankets  in  those  days  cost  a  great  deal  of  money, 
$10  to  $20  a  pair,  so  that  in  a  very  short  time  hundreds  of  dollars  worth  of  val- 
uables would  soon  be  destroyed. 

Back  in  the  distant  past  and  not  within  the  memory  of  the  Indians  of  to-day 
the  ceremony  had  its  attendant  features  of  a  more  heathenish  kind,  for  the  blood 
of  sacrifice  was  spilled  as  a  more  fitting  observance  of  the  grand  occasion. 
Slaves  succumbed  to  the  horrible  rites  and  moaned  out  their  death  chants  which 
blended  and  contrasted  with  the  mirthful  song  of  their  possessors^  engaged  for 
the  time  in  their  dance  of  blood.  An  incident  of  the  awful  tragedies  is  inspiringly 
told,  if  such  a  construction  can  be  put  upon  it,  by  an  early  missionary,  an  eye 
witness,  whose  description  is  re-clothed  in  the  splendid  words  of  Hezzekiah 
Butterworth: 

"  I  once  witnessed  a  potlatch  and  I  hope  I  may  never  see  such  a  scene  again. 
I  had  landed  among  a  tribe  of  northern  Indians  on  the  Whulge,  where  I  had 
gathered  a  little  church  some  months  before,  and  I  expected  to  hold  a  meeting 
on  the  night  I  arrived  in  one  of  the  canoes.  The  place  was  deserted;  the  woods 
were  all  silent.  Sunset  flashed  his  red  light  along  the  sea,  such  a  sunset  as  one 
only  sees  here  in  these  northern  latitudes.  A  wannish  glare  of  smoky  crimson 
lingering  long  into  the  night.  As  soon  as  the  sun  went  down  I  began  to  hear 
a  piping  sound  like  birds  in  all  the  woods  around.  The  calls  answered  one  an- 
other everywhere.  I  had  never  heard  a  sound  like  that.  I  tried  to  approach 
one  of  the  sounds  but  it  receded  before  me. 

"Suddenly  a  great  fire  blazed  up  and  lit  the  sky.  I  approached  it;  it  was 
built  on  a  little  prairie.  Near  it  was  a  large  platform  covered  with  canoes, 
blankets,  pressed  fish,  berry  cakes,  soap  —  clayey  or  berry  soap,  wampum  and 
beads.  Not  an  Indian  was  in  sight  save  one.  She  was  an  old  squaw  bound 
to  a  stake  or  tree. 

"  '  What  is  this  ?  '  I  asked  in  Chinook. 

"  'Cultus  tee-hee.' 

"  'Cultus  tee-hee?' 

'"Dah-blo!' 

"  She  wailed  in  Chinook. 

"  '  When  —  tamala  ?  '  ( to-morrow.) 

"  'Ding  Ding'— 

"  'Cultus  tee-hee.' 

"  '  Cultus  hee-hee.' 

"'Dah-blo!' 


POTLATCH    AND    DEVIL    DANCE 


147 


"Then  I  knew  that  all  was  preparation  for  a  potlatch,  and  that  there  was  to 
be  a  devil  dance —  ding  ding  —  at  that  very  hour. 

"  It  was  a  night  of  the  full  moon,  as  such  a  night  would  be  selected  for  such 
a  ceremony.  The  moon  rose  red  in  the  smoky  air,  and  the  sounds  like  the 
bird  calls  grew  louder  and  wilder.  Then  there  was  a  yell;  it  was  answered 
everywhere,  and  hundreds  of  Indians  in  paint  and  masks  came  running  out  of 
the  timber  upon  the  prairie.  Some  were  on  all  fours,  some  had  the  heads  of 
beasts,  fishes  and  birds,  some  had  wings  and  many  tails. 

"  Then  came  biters  attended  by  raving  squaws.     The  biters  were  to  tear  the 
flesh  from  the  arms  of  any  who  were  not 
found  at  the  dance  after  a  certain  hour. 

"Now  the  drums  began  to  beat  and 
the  shells  to  blow.  Indians  poured  out  of 
the  woods  in  paint,  blankets  and  beads. 

A  great  circle  dance  was  formed ;  the 
ta-mahn-a-wis  or  spirit  dance  was  en- 
acted. Great  gifts  were  made  as  at  a  pow- 
wow or  wah-wah.  Then  the  dark  crowd 
grew  frantic,  and  under  the  full  moon 
gleaming  on  high  came  the  devil's  dance. 

"  The  first  victim  was  a  live  dog.  He 
was  seized,  torn  in  pieces  and  eaten  by 
the  dancers,  so  as  to  redden  their  faces 
with  blood.  The  yells  were  now  more 
furious ;  the  dancers  leaped  into  the  air 
and  circled  around  the  old  woman  tied  to 
the  tree. 

1 '  I  will  not  describe  the  sickening  sight 
that  followed;  I  will  only  say  that  the  old 
hag,  who  was  accused  of  casting  an  evil 
eye,  shared  the  same  fate  as  the  dog. 

' ' '  Why  do  you  worship  the  devil  ? '  I 
asked  an  exhausted  brave  the  next  day. 

' '  '  Good  spirits  always  good  ;  him  we 
no  fear.  Please  the  devil  and  him  no 
harm  you.  All  well  —  happy;  good  ta- 
mahn-a-wis,  bad  ta-mahn-a-wis,  see  ?  ' 

It  was  plain  —  the  old  philosophy  of  the  sinking  sailor  who  prayed  '  good 
lord !  good  devil ! '  The  tradition  was  —  it  came  out  of  the  long  past  —  that  the 
devil  must  be  appeased. 


QUINIAUI/T   TKIBESMAN 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THE  T'KUNKITS  AND  ALEUTS 

The  T'Klinkit  is  the  name  applied  to  all  the  Indians  on  the  upper  coast  who 
reside  between  the  north  end  of  Prince  of  Wales  island  and  Yakutat  bay,  near 
the  base  of  Mt.  St.  Elias. 

These  T'Klinkits  are  divided  into  so-called  tribes;  virtually  families,  the 
chieftainship  descending  through  the  female  line.  The  T'Klinkits  were  gener- 
ally known  to  the  Siwash  of  Puget  Sound  under  the  general  name  of  Stickeens. 

Among  the  principal  families  of  T'Klinkits  are  the  Stickeens,  located  on  the 
Stikeen  river,  which  is  near  Fort  Wrangle;  the  Takous  and  Aukos,  whose  head- 
quarters are  in  Takou  inlet  and  on  the  present  site  of  Juneau;  the  Chilkats  and 
Chilkoots,  at  the  present  head  of  navigation  near  Pyramid  harbor;  the  Hoon- 
yas,  near  Glacier  bay,  and  the  Hootzenoos,  near  the  present  town  of  Killisnoo, 
and  the  Sitkas,  on  Baranoff  island.  The  Sitkas  are  really  composed  of  two 
families  —  the  Kaksutis  and  the  Kokwautans. 

In  1858  Commander  Meade,  U.  S.  N.,  found  it  necessary  to  reduce  to  ashes 
two  villages  of  the  Kake  Indians  on  Kiou  island,  on  account  of  the  murder  of 
innocent  prospectors.  These  Kake  Indians  are  the  most  hostile  of  any  of  the 
Alaska  families.  They  are  probably  not  T'Klinkits.  It  has  been  urged  by 
some  that  they,  as  well  as  the  Haidas,  just  to  the  south  of  them,  are  descend- 
ants of  the  ancient  Aztecs  of  Mexico,  who  were  driven  out  upon  the  fall  of  the 
great  Montezuma. 

L,ater  outbreaks  occurred  among  the  northern  Indians  as  late  as  1879.  The 
garrison  at  Sitka,  which  had  been  established  in  1877,  had  been  withdrawn, 
and  Catlian,  chief  of  the  Kaksutis,  had  an  idea,  and  so  informed  all  the  T'Klin- 
kits, that  the  United  States  had  abandoned  the  country;  the  natives  were  sole 
owners,  and  all  persons  in  the  country  were  there  at  their  peril.  He  first  started 
off  making  orations  at  Sitka,  where  he  stirred  up  the  young  men  of  his  family 
to  attempt  the  massacre  of  all  the  residents  of  Sitka,  telling  his  friends  that 
"  they  could  kill  everybody,  loot  the  stores,  secure  enough  to  keep  them  several 
years,  take  to  the  mountains,  and  in  a  year  or  so  all  would  be  forgotten  by  the 
United  States  government."  Luckily  for  the  people  of  Sitka,  Annahootz,  the 


THE  T'KLINKITS  AND  ALEUTS 


149 


chief  of  the  Kokwautans,  learned  of  Catlian's  threats,  and  one  evening  when  a 
crowd  of  drunken  Kaksutis  attempted  to  pass  the  stockade  between  what  is 
called  Indian  Town  and  Sitka,  Annahootz,  with  several  of  his  young,  men  met 
them  at  the  gate.  A  skirmish  took  place.  Annahootz  was  badly  wounded, 
but  prevented  Catlian's  crowd  from  reaching  the  citizens. 

The  then  collector  of  customs,  Col.  M.  D.  Ball,  as  far  as  possible  armed  the 
citizens,  who  patroled  the  town  night  and  day  until  the  arrival  of  the  mail 
steamer  from  the  Sound.  An  urgent  request  was  forwarded  the  government 
for  help,  and  help  was  also  asked  from  the  British  government  at  Victoria.  The 
American  government  being  dilatory,  Capt.  A' Court,  of  H.  M.  S.  Osprey,  went 
immediately  to  the  scene  of  trouble.  Through  the  urgent  representations  of 
Major  Win.  Gouveneur  Morris,  at  that  time  special  agent  of  the  treasury  de- 


YAKUTAT,  ALASKA 

partment  (afterwards  collector  of  customs  for  Alaska),  the  revenue  marine 
steamer  Wolcott  was  immediately  sent  north.  As  soon  as  orders  could  be 
given,  the  United  States  corvette  Alaska  was  sent  to  Sitka.  Upon  the  arrival 
of  the  Wolcott,  Capt.  A' Court  offered  the  hospitalities  of  his  cabin  to  Mrs.  Ball 
and  family  to  convey  them  from  the  scene  of  trouble.  Col.  Ball  thought  he, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Wolcott  and  Alaska,  could  hold  the  natives  in  shape, 
and  declined  the  offer.  The  trouble  blew  over,  as  Catlian  saw  he  was  over- 
matched. The  Alaska  sailed  south,  and  trouble  again  being  threatened  the 
Jamestown  was  ordered  to  that  port.  Under  the  wise  regulations  of  Captains 
Beardsley  and  Glass,  Indian  Town  (so  called)  was  cleansed,  whitewashed,  the 
turbulent  natives  being  made  policemen  and  carried  on  the  rolls  of  the  ship  as 
landsmen.  They  liked  their  authority,  and  with  their  big  tin  stars,  brass  but- 
tons and  blue  uniforms  kept  the  place  in  good  order. 


150  THE    SIWASH 

The  only  other  trouble  was  in  1883,  at  the  Hootzenoo  village  uprising,  when 
Capt.  Merriman,  of  the  navy,  was  forced  to  destroy  the  villiage,  for  which  he 
was  afterwards  court-martialed  and  acquitted. 

The  Chilkats  and  Kakes  have,  up  to  this  time,  had  the  reputations  of  being 
the  worst  in  Alaska. 

Of  the  T'Klinkits  and  their  peculiar  customs  and  changed  conditions  at  the 
present  day,  the  Alaska  Searchlight  in  March  last  had  the  following  to  say: 

"  Inter- tribal  wars  among  the  natives  of  southeastern  Alaska  have  become 
things  of  the  past.  A  century's  contact  with  the  whites  has  made  the  T'Klin- 
kits a  changed  people,  differing  in  exact  ratio  as  that  association  has  been  the 
more  or  less  intimate.  Gone  forever  are  their  most  striking  characteristics, 
their  native  customs  and  institutions,  until  today  their  warlike  achievements 
live  only  in  song  and  story.  Shamenism,  witchcraft  and  slavery  have  disap- 
peared before  the  growing  power  of  the  white  man  as  the  dreams  of  night  are 
chased  away  by  the  morning  sun;  but  as  in  bosk3r  dell  or  depth  of  woodland 
shade  the  dewy  shadows  linger  longest,  so  traces  of  former  customs  still  remain 
among  those  natives  farthest  removed  from  the  white  man's  influence.  Fierce 
and  bloody  were  the  frequent  wars  waged  among  the  different  tribes  before  they 
felt  the  rule  of  the  Russians,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  divert  the  attention 
of  the  Indians  from  warfare  to  the  less  dangerous  pursuit  of  hunting,  Gradu- 
ally they  caught  the  spirit  of  trade  which  actuated  their  new  and  powerful 
neighbors,  and  adapted  new  methods  for  the  settlement  of  their  fueds  and  differ- 
ences. In  time  blankets  and  other  articles  of  value  came  to  be  received  in  pay- 
ment for  insulted  dignity  or  outraged  honor,  for  which  formerly  no  atonement 
was  known  save  that  of  blood.  Captives  of  war  became  slaves  to  their  captors 
and  passed  their  lives  in  bondage,  unless  fortune  chanced  to  smile  upon  the 
standards  of  their  people  and  they  were  retaken  by  them.  The  T'Klinkits 
waged  war  upon  the  British  Columbia  Indians  and  took  from  them  many  pris- 
oners. At  times  the  most  warlike  tribes  held  a  considerable  number  of  slaves, 
but  as  marriages  among  them  were  of  rare  occurrence,  and  their  number  de- 
pleted by  sacrifice,  when  the  wars  ceased,  thus  cutting  off  the  source  of  supply, 
slavery  soon  died  out,  until  at  the  present  time  there  are  no  slaves  left.  An  old 
doctor  at  the  village  on  the  Takou  river  has  a  man  with  him  who  is  said  to  be 
a  slave,  but  he  has  so  many  opportunities  to  escape  and  implore  the  protection 
of  the  law  that  either  he  must  be  free  or  does  not  find  his  bondage  irksome. 
Kuh-hahla-tloo-ut  was  formerly  a  slave.  Her  face  is  an  exceedingly  good  type 
of  the  old  T'Klinkit  women,  who  have  learned  patience  and  submission  through 
long  years  of  toil  and  hardship.  Report  has  it  that  there  is  one  slave  at  the 
Chilkat  village  of  Klak-wan,  but  practically  he  is  free,  although  at  one  time 
he  was  owned  by  a  former  chief.  Under  the  Russian  rule  wars  among  the 
T'Klinkit  tribes  became  of  rare  occurrence,  but  the  number  of  slaves  was  kept 


THE    T  KLINKITS    AND    ALEUTS 


151 


up  by  purchase  from  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia,  chiefly  the  Flatheads. 
Throughout  the  history  of  the  world  in  all  climes  and  under  all  conditions 
slavery  has  presented  the  same  general  characteristics,  and  among  the  T' Klin- 
kits  there  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Slaves  had  no  civil  rights  whatever. 
They  could  own  no  property;  whatever  came  to  them  through  labor  or  gift  be- 
longed to  the  master.  They  could  not  marry  without  his  consent,  which  was 
rarely  ever  given.  When  liberated,  as  they  sometimes  were,  they  ranked  the 
lowest  among  the  people  and  were  counted  with  their  mother's  clan.  On  festive 
occasions  they  were  often  killed  or  set  free.  At  the  death  of  a  chief  or  head  man 
it  was  customary  to  kill  one  or  more  slaves,  sometimes  ten  or  fifteen,  that  they 
might  accompany  their  master  and  serve  him  in  the  life  beyond  this  earthly  ex- 
istence. The  killing  of  these  slaves  was  attended  with  but  little  pomp  or  cere- 
mony, their  death  was  the  one  thing  to  be  accomplished.  Among  the  Chilkats, 
it  would  be  decided  in  a  secret  council  which  of  the  slaves  should  be  put  to 


-/O.-x 


VOLCANO   BOGUSLOF,  OF   ALEUTIAN   ISLANDS 

death.  Unconscious  of  their  impending  doom  they  would  be  struck  down  from 
behind  with  a  huge  stone  hammer.  Able-bodied  slaves  were  seldom  sacrificed, 
as  they  were  considered  of  too  much  value,  but  the  old  and  diseased  were  usually 
selected  as  victims.  If  a  slave  should  learn  of  his  doom  and  succeed  in  escap- 
ing or  concealing  himself  he  was  allowed  to  live,  and  after  the  festivities  were 
over  might  return  to  the  house  of  his  master  with  no  fear  of  punishment.  Chiefs 
often  used  to  help  favorite  slaves  make  their  escape.  After  death  the  body  of  a 
slave  received  no  more  honor  than  that  of  a  dog.  It  was  denied  the  right  of 
cremation  and  thrown  upon  the  beach,  food  for  the  wolves,  the  fish  and  the 
birds.  On  the  last  evening  of  great  feasts  the  host  would  retire  to  a  corner  of 
the  house  accompanied  by  all  his  slaves  and  don  his  finest  costume  —  one  kept 
especially  for  such  occasions.  His  favorite  slave  would  be  called  upon  to  dress 
him,  and  would  receive  for  his  services  his  freedom.  One  or  more  of  the  others 


152  THE    SIWASH 

would  be  put  to  death,  and  after  the  sacrifice  the  valor  of  the  chief  and  his  an- 
cestors would  be  sung,  and  a  distribution  of  gifts  take  place.  Sometimes  a  host 
would  present  guests  whom  he  wished  to  honor  greatly  with  one  or  more  slaves. 
At  the  potlatch  at  Klakwan  last  fall  the  wolf  robe  of  the  chief  was  taken  from 
its  hiding  place  and  shown  the  people,  and  no  blood  sacrifice  demanded,  though 
the  last  time  their  eyes  rested  upon  this  much-prized  relic  it  is  said  that  six 
slaves  were  killed  to  do  honor  to  the  host." 

On  the  Aleutian  islands,  or  peninsula  of  Alaska,  are  found  the  Aleuts,  still 
presided  over  by  priests  and  bishops  of  the  Greek  church.  It  is  probable  that 
no  thoroughbred  Aleuts  now  remain  in  the  territory.  The  present  inhabitants 
of  the  Aleutian  isles  all  contain  Russian  blood  in  their  veins.  The  mixture  has 
improved  them  much,  in  appearance  at  least.  Formerly  they  were  of  diminu- 
tive stature,  not  unlike  the  Eskimo  in  their  appearance  and  in  the  treachery  of 
their  disposition.  Now  they  are  much  larger  in  size,  and  it  would  be  difficult 
to  distinguish  many  of  them  from  Europeans,  so  fair  is  their  complexion  and 
regular  their  features.  The  children,  who  attend  the  government  schools,  learn 
everything  easily,  except  mathematics.  They  very  rarely  pass  fractions  in  the 
arithmetic.  Many  of  them  sing  hymns  and  patriotic  songs  well,  and  use  the  En- 
glish language  very  fluently  when  at  play.  Apparently  all  are  devout  Chris- 
tians according  to  the  Greek  faith,  but  the  sailor  who  goes  ashore  at  night  will 
be  accosted  many  times  by  the  Aleuts,  both  men  and  women,  who  want  "  huchi- 
noo,"  or  whisky  as  we  would  call  it.  Cattle,  sheep  and  goats  are  raised  to  a 
considerable  extent  around  Unalaska.  Several  fine  appearing  Jersey  and  Guern- 
sey cows  were  seen  there  with  their  udders  well  filled  with  milk.  The  Aleuts 
ride  from  place  to  place  in  bidarkees,  or  skin  canoes.  About  Dutch  harbor  are  cen- 
ters interesting  for  the  tribe,  and  churchs  and  schools  are  maintained.  The  services 
are  largely  attended  by  the  Aleut  portion  of  Unalaska's  population.  There  are  a 
bishop  and  several  priests  present,  who  chant  the  service  in  Slavonian,  wihch  is 
responded  to  by  a  small  choir  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  young  boys.  Vast 
sums  are  lavished  on  the  ornamentation  of  Greek  churches.  Many  are  the  de- 
signs in  gold  and  silver  on  the  furniture  used  in  the  service.  L,ike  in  the  ancient 
Roman  churches  the  services  are  conducted  by  the  light  of  many  brilliant  can- 
dles of  various  size.  Some  of  the  paintings  that  ornamented  the  Alaskan  Greek 
churches,  especially  those  of  Sitka  and  Kodiak,  are  among  the  finest  artistic 
productions  of  the  Slavonian  school.  While  the  dignitaries  are  chanting  the 
service  the  greater  portion  of  the  congregation  keep  constantly  in  motion,  kneel- 
ing and  bowing  their  heads,  and  kissing  the  floor  and  crossing  themselves  in 
Grecian  fashion. 

The  Grecian  cross  differs  materially  from  the  Roman  cross.  The  Roman 
cross  is  but  one  erect  cross.  The  upright  portion  of  the  Greek  cross  is  crossed 
three  times,  once  by  a  horizontal  bar  and  twice  by  inclined  cross  bars,  one  being 


THE    T  KLINKITS    AND    ALEUTS 


153 


above  and  the  other  below  the  horizontal  bar.  These  crosses  are  to  be  found 
on  all  their  churches  and  in  all  their  cemeteries. 

Dutch  harbor  is  the  headquarters  of  the  North  American  Commercial  com- 
pany for  the  northern  district,  and  contains  such  buildings  as  are  usual  in  a 
station  of  its  importance.  It  is  the  outfitting  point  for  most  whalers  and  sealers 
for  Bering  sea,  and  is  the  place  where  American  war  vessels  receive  their  sup- 
ply of  coal,  which  is  imported  from  Nanaimo,  B.  C.  The  harbor  is  one  of  those 
small  bays,  well  protected  by  the  steep,  high  hills  which  surround  it,  that  are  so 
common  in  Alaska. 

Unalaska  proper  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  away  —  situated  on  a  long,  low 
flat  under  the  shadow  of  several  lofty  hills.  Its  harbor  is  as  safe  as  Dutch  har- 
bor, but  not  so  handy.  The  Alaska  Commercial  company  has  a  large  estab- 
lishment there.  The  town  consists  chiefly  of  the  company's  large  buildings 


KODIAK,  ALASKA 

and  about  a  hundred  or  more  small  tenement  houses  that  the  company  has 
erected  for  the  use  of  its  native  hunters.  All  the  houses  are  built  of  imported 
rustic,  and  in  most  cases  are  painted  with  brown  ocher.  The  old  Greek  church 
has  been  demolished  to  give  place  to  a  grand  new  cathedral,  which  is  now  un- 
der construction.  At  the  present  time  the  devotees  meet  to  burn  their  incense 
and  otherwise  worship  in  one  of  the  smaller  ecclesiastical  buildings. 

The  Alaska  Commercial  company  has  secured  passage  of  a  special  law  allow- 
ing the  natives  of  Unalaska  to  hunt  sea  otters  at  sea  on  schooners  fitted  out  in 
Unalaska,  a  privilege  that  none  other  than  they  enjoy. 

The  readers  of  accounts  of  adventures  on  northern  seas  and  frigid  lands,  such 
as  often  appear  in  magazines  and  story  books,  are  apt  to  confound  the  fur  seal, 
hunted  for  that  rich  under  fur  which  he  possesses,  with  the  hair  seal  hunted  by 


154  THE   SIWASH 

the  natives  of  northern  regions  for  the  most  part  for  his  fat.  However,  the 
skins  of  the  latter  are  of  considerable  value  to  a  savage  man.  In  the  Aluetian 
islands  their  bidarkees  (skin  canoes),  houses,  clothing,  etc.,  are  largely  made 
from  the  skin  of  the  hair  seal.  It  has  not  been  uncommon  in  recent  years  to 
see  in  the  great  illustrated  monthlies  and  weeklies  pictures  and  descriptions  of 
Greenland  Eskimos  and  Siberian  Tungusees  stealing  upon  the  inoffensive  seal 
as  he  lies  sleeping  on  a  block  of  ice,  with  their  short  spears  and  other  weapons 
used  in  his  capture.  Though  so  much  has  been  written  about  hair  seals,  but 
very  little  has  appeared  in  popular  publications  concerning  the  more  valuable 
fur  seal.  This  is  largely  due  to  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  correct  information 
concerning  them.  In  former  times  they  inhabited  the  northern  and  southern 
parts  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans.  But  they  have  been  so  closely  hunted 
that  at  the  present  time  the  only  rookeries  left  that  are  worthy  of  mention  are 
those  on  the  Pribylof  islands,  of  which  St.  Paul  and  St.  George  are  the  chief, 
the  Copper  island  rookeries  along  the  coast  of  Siberia  and  those  in  the  waters 
of  Japan.  There  are  also  rookeries  in  the  southern  seas,  along  the  coast  of  Pat- 
agonia, but  the  seals  are  not  very  plentiful,  and  owing  to  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather  can  only  be  obtained  by  raiding  the  rookeries. 

In  order  that  the  process  of  hunting  the  fur  seal  may  be  better  understood  it 
may  be  proper  to  give  a  little  space  to  a  description  of  them  and  their  habits. 
They  are  usually  brown  or  gray  in  color.  The  males  reach  maturity  when  about 
ten  years  old.  They  often  measure  eight  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the 
flipper,  and  their  weight  often  approaches  400  pounds.  Some  of  them  live  to 
a  great  age  and  have  fine  long  manes  on  their  necks.  The  females  arrive  at 
maturity  when  about  three  years  old,  and  vary  in  weight  from  40  to  100  pounds. 
The  male  seals  are  all  congregated  on  the  rookery  in  the  latter  part  of  June. 
The  females  arrive  there  several  weeks  later.  As  fast  as  the  females  arrive  the 
strong  old  patriarchs  take  them  in  charge,  each  caring  for  as  many  as  he  can 
guard,  usually  about  fifteen  in  number.  Very  soon  after  the  female  reaches  the 
island  the  young  one,  usually  known  as  the  "  pup,"  is  born.  At  birth  it  weighs 
only  a  couple  of  pounds,  and  grows  to  weigh  25  or  30  pounds  during  the  first 
year.  It  is  said  the  noise  of  fierce  fighting  among  the  many  thousands  male 
seals  that  gather  on  these  wild,  barren,  rocky  shores  at  breeding  time  is  beyond 
the  power  of  human  speech  to  describe.  Many  thousands  of  them  are  killed 
every  year,  so  fierce  are  their  raging  battles.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  in  most 
cases  the  young  pups  do  not  take  readily  to  the  water  at  first.  More  often  than 
not  the  older  ones  have  to  teach  them  how  to  swim. 

As  soon  as  the  pups  can  travel  the  herds  leave  the  rookery  and  proceed 
southward.  They  go  through  passes  that  separate  the  Aleution  islands  one 
from  the  other  in  the  latter  part  of  September.  The  ist  of  November  finds 
them  drifting  around  in  their  winter  quarters  off  the  coast  of  Mexico.  As 


THE  T'KLINKITS  AND  ALEUTS  155 

soon   as  good  weather  returns  they  proceed  northward  slowly,  congregating 
along  the  various  fishing  banks,  where  they  are  most  successfully  hunted. 

The  country  on  the  main  land,  both  on  the  Shumagin  islands  and  the  Alaska 
peninsula  as  well  as  on  the  Aleutian  chain,  is  composed  of  ragged  bluffs  and 
deep  canyons,  betraying  evidence  of  much  volcanic  activity  in  recent  times. 
Where  the  rocks  do  not  come  to  the  surface  these  hills  are  generally  covered  by 
a  thin  growth  of  small  alders  which  rarely  grow  to  be  more  than  six  or  seven 
feet  in  height.  Between  the  clusters  of  alder  there  are  often  found  growing 
salmon-berry  bushes  which  seldom  exceed  a  foot  in  height.  Grass  sprinkled 
with  fragrant  violets,  grows  luxuriantly  in  some  places.  In  others  wild  straw- 
berries and  small  blackberry  vines  are  abundant. 

In  those  latitudes  strawberries  and  salmon-berries  are  ripe  in  the  middle  of 
August;  red  and  black  huckleberries  and  blackberries  in  the  latter  part  of  Sep- 
tember. It  is  one  of  the  few  places  where  a  cranberry  marsh  can  be  found  on  a 
steeply  sloping  hillside. 

Sand  Point  station  contains  a  store  with  warehouses,  and  customs  house  and 
such  other  buildings  as  are  usually  found  in  a  frontier  trading  post.  There  is 
also  a  large  hotel  which  was  built  during  the  administration  of  Mr.  O'Bryon  as 
factor  for  L,ynde  &  Hough.  O'Bryon  has  since  been  lost  in  the  schooner  Mary 
Brown  which  was  wrecked  off  Queen  Charlotte  island  on  her  passage  down  last 
fall.  The  hotel  is  probably  the  finest  building  in  Alaska.  It  is  furnished  with 
many  of  the  modern  improvements,  and  helps  to  give  the  place  the  appearance 
of  one  of  those  boom  towns  that  used  to  be  seen  on  Puget  Sound  a  few  years 
ago.  No  one  to-day  knows  why  the  hotel  was  built,  not  even  the  company. 
It  is  thought  that  O'Bryon  intended  establishing  a  pleasure  resort  for  tourists 
who  would  go  there  to  fish  and  hunt  during  their  summer  vacations.  In  front 
of  the  station  lies  the  hull  of  the  old  three-masted  schooner  John  Hancock, 
which  was  wrecked  there  several  years  ago. 

The  Hancock  has  quite  an  interesting  history.  The  gunboat  John  Hancock 
was  built  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  in  1846.  She  was  then  a  side-wheel  steamer. 
After  the  Mexican  war  she  was  transferred  to  the  Pacific  coast.  She  was  Com- 
modore Perry's  flagship  when  he  nogotiated  his  famous  treaty  with  the  emperor 
of  Japan.  In  later  times  the  Hancock  was  purchased  by  Lynde  &  Hough,  of 
San  Francisco,  and  transformed  into  a  three-masted  schooner  for  the  Alaskan 
trade.  Her  model  was  suited  for  swift  sailing,  having  been  very  long  and 
slender.  She  made  the  quickest  passage  ever  made  by  a  sailing  vessel  on  that 
route.  After  she  drifted  ashore  the  wreck  was  filled  with  rock  and  a  wharf 
was  built  out  over  it. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE   INDIAN   AND  THE  SOUTH    WIND 

Intimately  associated  with  the  legend  and  folk  lore  of  the  Indians  of  Puget 
Sound  is  the  south  wind,  the  balmy  Chinook,  the  harbinger,  the  first  breath  of 
early  spring  time.  It  is  the  precursor  of  all  that  is  glorious  in  pleasant  days, 
sunshine  and  joy.  It  comes  up  over  the  land,  perfumed  and  odorous  from  the 
sea  islands.  It's  touch  is  like  that  of  a  maiden's  palm,  gentle  and  soft.  Its 
tread  is  silent  like  the  flight  of  a  peri,  but  it  is  strong  in  its  coming,  for  snow 
peaks  and  icy  crags  melt  before  it  like  banks  of  fog.  It  may  come  in  May  or  it 
may  come  in  December,  and  its  influence  is  felt  for  good.  The  Indians  watch 
for  its  coming  as  they  did  for  the  salmon,  the  king  of  fishes,  long  before  the 
white  man  came  upon  the  coast  to  share  in  its  benign  influence. 

There  was  a  beautiful  superstition  or  tradition  among  the  Indians  that  the 
Chinook  always  came  in  the  night  time  and  the  white  man  with  all  his  learn- 
ing has  never  yet  proved  that  it  does  not.  The  stolid  Indian  waked  in  the 
morning,  went  to  the  door  of  his  wigwam  and  found  it  fanning  his  cheeks. 
The  white  man  came,  and  he  too  when  he  waked  himself  at  morning  would 
find  the  Chinook  a-blowing.  So  it  is  to-day.  Though  the  white  man  has  had 
a  half  century  to  discover  the  secrets  of  this  pleasant  wind,  they  have  never 
yet  been  told.  They  only  know  from  whence  to  look  for  it  —  from  over  the  sea 
—  as  did  the  Indians  before  them. 

As  all  meterologists  on  the  coast  know  and  old  residents  as  well,  the  prevail- 
ing winds  of  the  year  are  southerly,  but  all  southerly  winds  are  not  Chinook 
blows.  They  are  as  distinctly  different  as  the  vesper  and  the  Dakota  blizzard. 
The  Chinook  is  always  a  strong,  steady  southerly  wind,  never  from  any  other 
point  of  the  compass,  unless  it  be  slightly  southwesterly.  It  is  distinctly  pecu- 
liar to  the  Northwest  Pacific  coast  and  its  source  is  far  out  in  the  nasty  storm 
center  of  the  Pacific  ocean,  emanating  from  the  famed  Japan  current  which  is 
the  source  of  the  remarkable  humidity  of  the  North  Pacific  coast. 

The  Chinook  is  remarkable  for  the  warming-up  it  brings,  and  what  is  still 
more  singular  the  glow  from  its  presence  is  not  dependent  upon  its  force.  This 
peculiar  wind  is,  indeed,  not  a  blow  in  the  sense  that  the  word  is  usually  taken, 
but  a  smooth,  steady  flow  of  a  great  wind  current  that  is  the  delight  of  all  who 
come  under  its  enchanting  spell.  And  what  warmth  it  brings.  By  official 
record  on  the  Sound  it  has  been  known  to  elevate  the  mercury  in  the  thermom- 


THE    INDIAN    AND    THE    SOUTH    WIND 


157 


eter  19  degrees  in  an  hour's  time,  and  yet  the  Chinook  was  not  blowing  above 
a  i2-mile-an-hour  rate.  That  is  good  evidence  that  the  amount  of  heat  it 
brings  is  independent  of  the  force  of  the  wind. 

The  spring  months  of  the  year  is  the  season  proper  of  the  Chinook,  but  mete- 
orologists say  there  are  exceptions  and  the  old  and  observant  pioneer  will  doubt- 
less bear  out  this  statement.  It  has  been  observed  to  blow  in  December  at  Olympia, 
where  is  located  the  oldest  weather  station  in  Washington.  There  20  years' 
records  of  the  weather  in  Western  Washington,  from  a  total  of  5,700  distinct 
and  separate  observations  made  with  a  statement  of  every  plus  and  minus 
change  of  10  degrees  or  more  in  both  the  maximum  and  minimum  of  the  tem- 
perature, shows  that  the  months  of  the  year  when  the  most  decided  changes 


"  KLA-HOW-YA" — HOW  ARE  YOU 

occur  in  Western  Washington  are  March,  April,  May  and  October.  During 
the  other  months  the  temperature  varies  but  little  from  day  to  day.  Of  de- 
cided temperature  in  this  western  country  24  degrees  is  the  record  of  greatest 
variation  in  any  24  hours,  either  of  maximum  or  minimum,  that  was  ever 
noticed.  A  change  in  the  maximum  of  40  degrees  in  24  hours  in  Texas  in  winter 
is  said  tobe  a  common  thing.  The  cause  is  said  to  be  that  immediately  preceding 
a  norther  comes  a  warm,  moist  wave,  which  runs  the  thermometer  up  to  65  or  70 
degrees  on  a  winter  day,  and  by  next  morning  the  thermometer  has  fallen  to  30 
or  more  degrees.  By  reason  of  our  contiguity  to  the  Japan  current  such  ex- 
treme and  sudden  changes  are  impossible. 

It  is  only  for  two  months  in  the  year  —July  and  August  —  that  the  prevail- 
ing winds  are  not  southerly;  then  they  may  be  said  to  be  northerly.  June  im- 
mediately preceding  the  first  of  these  two  months,  and  September  immediately 
following  them,  each  have  about  50  per  cent  of  northerly  and  southerly  winds. 


158 


THE    SIWASH 


This  mere  statement  of  wind  courses  is  really  an  explanation  of  the  cause  of 
such  a  long  rainy  season  on  the  Northwest  coast.  By  scientific  investigation  it 
has  been  demonstrated  that  all  cyclonic  depressions  originating  in  or  over  the 
Pacific  ocean  during  those  ten  months  of  the  year  when  southerly  winds  prevail 
pass  at  a  sufficiently  low  latitude  to  cause  the  winds  in  Western  Washington  to 
blow  from  the  south  or  southwest.  These  winds  always  bring  up  from  the 
ocean  that  excess  of  humidity  or  moistness  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
country. 

This  prevailing  moist-laden  atmosphere  or  wind  current  from  the  ocean  and 
the  presence  of  the  towering  Cascade  barrier  paralleling  the  coast  so  closely  is 
the  true  secret  of  the  peculiar  climate.  Move  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains 
and  meteorologists  tell  us  that  we  would  at  once  experience  a  great  difference 
in  climatic  conditions.  The  excess  of  moisture  now  so  common  on  a  compara- 


SPEARING   THE   HAIK    SEAL 

tively  narrow  strip  of  coast  line  would  find  its  way  inland  and  distribute  itself 
over  a  vast  area  of  country.  Desert  and  sagebrush  plains  would  be  turned  into 
blooming  gardens,  and  corn  and  wine  would  grow  and  flow  where  now  only  the 
sagehen  and  jack  rabbit  find  congenial  homes.  The  prevailing  south  and  south- 
westerly winds  would  not,  say  the  meteorologists,  be  interrupted  in  their  regular 
course  because  their  source  would  not  be  interrupted.  And  there  is  so  much  of 
that  dirty  weather  always  present  in  the  ocean  caused  by  the  presence  of  the 
Japan  current  which  strikes  our  coast  that  the  atmosphere  would  still  have  its 
excess  of  humidity.  In  the  Japan  current  lies  the  source  of  bad  weather  off 
shore  and  on  the  coast  line.  To  such  a  nicety  have  meteorologists  reduced  this 
potent  factor  in  our  weather  that  they  can  always  with  a  degree  of  certainty 
scarcely  attainable  in  other  sections,  predict  the  character  of  the  weather  com- 
ing on. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

PLEASURE   AND  PROFIT  IN  THE   MARSH 

Checked  by  the  impenetratable  forests  that  covered  all  the  interior  of  the 
country  bordering  on  Puget  Sound,  the  native  Indians  found  pleasure  and  profit 
in  investigating  the  marsh  lands,  tules  and  tide  lands  and  beaver  dams,  and 
chasing  the  festive  musk  rat  and  the  industrious  beaver;  or  taking  the  numer- 
ous water  fowl  by  simple  methods  now  forgotten  or  long  in  disuse. 

Nature  for  ages  had  been  in  process  of  forming  vast  tide  marshes  at  the 
deltas  and  mouths  of  the  numerous  streams,  the  Duwamish,  the  Stillaguamish, 
the  Skagit  and  Nooksack,  Puyallup,  Skokomish  and  others.  Around  the 
mouths  of  these  rivers  many  of  the  largest  Indian  settlements  were  to  be  found. 
How  long  these  rivers  have  been  silently  at  work  day  and  night  tearing  down 
the  mountains  and  carrying  the  fragments  away  to  the  sea  is  a  question  no  man 
can  answer.  For  ages  this  work  has  been  going  on,  with  results  perceptible  in 
the  acres  of  marsh  where  the  rivers  meet  the  tide.  If  diked  and  tilled  this  tide 
land  is  the  richest  and  most  productive  of  the  whole  state  for  certain  kinds  of 
crops. 

All  hunters  know  that  snipe,  ducks  and  migratory  water  fowl  galore  are 
temporary  tenants  of  these  marshy  depths  every  fall  and  that  good  sport  comes 
in  with  the  tide  at  the  right  season  of  the  year. 

At  flood  tide  the  "flats"  are  full  of  life,  for  then  the  little  channels  that 
penetrate  the  tules  like  a  labyrinth  are  peopled  with  thousands  of  gull,  ducks, 
snipe,  heron  and  other  water  birds,  feeding  on  the  crawfish,  crabs  and  other 
Crustacea  that  dwell  in  the  slimy  mud  and  only  come  forth  when  the  waters 
cover  the  myriads  of  holes  that  constitute  their  homes.  Muskrats  paddle  about 
towing  bits  of  dead  wood  or  tule  in  a  streaming  wake  as  they  take  advantage  of  the 
tide  for  water  transportation  to  bring  their  winter  bed  to  their  burrow.  Quaint 
little  fellows  they  are,  with  beady  black  eyes  that  see  everything,  and  a  shin- 
ing coat  of  brown  fur  which  they  oil  and  comb  every  time  they  can  find  a  warm 
sunny  nook  where  the  wind  doesn't  blow  too  brisk.  They  are  not  very  shy  if 
left  alone  and  can  often  be  seen  swimming  about  or  perched  on  some  snag 
smoothing  their  coat  with  a  little  black  paw  or  huddled  up  until  they  look  like 
a  brown  ball  of  fur  as  big  as  your  two  fists.  They  have  a  tireless  enemy  in  the 


160 


THE    SIWASH 


person  of  the  fanner  who  owns  diked  land,  for  they  are  the  bane  of  his  exist- 
ence. Dikes  seem  to  be  a  favorite  place  for  them  to  dig  their  burrows  in,  pre- 
sumably because  it  affords  them  an  elevation  above  water  level,  consequently  a 
dry  home  in  the  otherwise  slimy  expanse  of  marsh  that  forms  their  habitat. 

Muskrats  are  not  the  only  inhabitants  of  these  lonsome,  wind-swept  deposits. 
Gulls  wing  their  circling  flight  along  the  borders  in  quest  of  food  left  by  the 
last  tide,  and  croaking  herons  rise  on  heavy,  uncertain  wing,  as  they  adjust 
their  lank  proportions  to  the  conditions  of  aerial  navigation.  The  crows  are 
there  always;  high  tide,  low  tide  or  no  tide,  the  crows  are  about.  At  low 
water  they  pick  up  the  clams  and  cockles  left  on  top  of  the  sand,  take  out  the 
meat  of  such  as  they  are  able,  and  have  a  way  of  their  own  of  opening  those 
that  persist  in  keeping  their  shells  tightly  closed,  On  finding  one  of  this  kind 


f.l, 


INDIAN   DUCK   HUNTING 

they  take  hold  of  it  with  their  beak,  give  a  preliminary  croak  or  so,  and  rise 
in  the  air  for  several  yards,  then  they  drop  the  clam  and  follow  it  like  a  black 
plumb  bob  to  the  beach.  The  clam  shell  is  cracked  and  mashed  by  the  fall 
and  the  crow  has  everything  his  own  way  by  his  sharp  practices.  They  clean 
up  about  everything  considered  eatable  in  the  crow  bill  of  fare  that  is  left  on 
the  beach  by  the  tide  and  what  they  miss  the  gulls  get,  so  that  the  mud  flats  con- 
stitute a  kind  of  a  short  order  restaurant  for  the  bird-folk  that  inhabit  our  bay 
shores. 

The  stoical  Siwash  stalks,  barefooted,  over  the  broad  expanse  of  sand,  gath- 
ering clams  at  low  tide,  or  with  silent  paddle  urges  his  cedar  canoe  among  the 
canals  of  the  tule  patches,  looking  for  a  "potshot"  at  ducks  with  his  old 
Hudsons  bay  company  musket.  He  never  wastes  any  powder  on  a  single  duck  or 
risks  a  wing  shot.  There  must  be  a  whole  patch  of  ducks  and  they  must  be  close 


PLEASURES    AND    PROFITS    IN    THE    MARSH 


161 


and  sitting  still  on  the  water  before  he  turns  his  old  gas-pipe  fusee  loose  in 
their  direction.  He  don't  go  for  sport,  or  sportsmanship,  this  aborigine,  so  he 
nearly  always  gets  ducks  and  generally  several  of  them  every  time  he  chucks 
a  double  handful  of  slugs  among  them. 

He  is  silent  as  a  shadow  and  piles  branches  and  grass  all  over  his  canoe  to 
enable  him  to  do  just  the  right  kind  of  a  "sneak"  on  his  unsuspecting 
victims. 

Mrs.  Siwash  paddles  along  the  canals  too,  but  she  is  on  a  peaceful  mission 
and  only  takes  the  tules  and  rushes  that  grow  thick  on  the  tide-flat  marshes  for 
no  other  purpose,  in  her  estimation,  than  for  making  mats  for  her  dwelling  on 
the  other  side  of  the  bay.  She  knows  all  the  devious  windings  of  every  little 
channel,  though  some  of  them  are  only  about  wide  enough  to  float  her  light 
craft  and  are  hung  so  close  with  grass  and  rushes  that  you  would  hardly  sus- 
pect an  open  Waterway.  She  knows  that  this  or  that  blind  canal  opens  out  and 


KLOOTCHMAN   GATHERING   RUSHES 


gives  access  to  a  particularly  fine  patch  of  rushes  a  little  further  on  and  urges 
her  boat  ahead  with  lazy  stroke  that  makes  it  glide  along  even  if  there  is  no 
water  to  be  seen  from  your  point  of  view. 

These  little  waterways  lead  everywhere,  and  in  walking  about  you  find  your- 
self unexpectedly  confronted  by  a  ditch  a  little  too  wide  to  jump  over  and  a 
trifle  to  deep  to  wade,  when  you  stop  to  consider  that  the  bottom  mud  may  be 
any  depth  you  take  a  notion  to  imagine  it,  but  at  best  deep  enough  to  let  the 
water  in  over  the  tops  of  your  waders. 

In  the  deeper  ones  crabs  skurry  away  in  a  misfit,  sideways  fashion,  pecu- 
liarly their  own,  and  flounders  fan  their  shingle  shaped  bulk  down  in  the 
friendly  slime  and  there  lie  buried  as  the  roil  drifts  away,  conforming  so  closely 
with  the  color  of  the  bottom  as  to  be  invisible  to  any  one  but  a  Siwash.  They 
can't  fool  a  Siwash  a  little  bit  for  he  just  picks  up  a  spear  from  his  canoe, 
makes  a  jab  at  the  muddy  spot  and  eats  flounder  when  he  gets  hungry. 


CHAPTER    XL 


INDIANS   IN   THE   HOP   FIELDS 

There's  dusky  maids 
In  pinks  and  plaids, 
Maids  from  the  forest  free; 

In  bright  attire, 

Aglow,  afire, 
On  Ballast  island  by  the  sea. 

There's  the  chief  of  his  clan 
With  his  ughly  klootchman; 
The  gay  young  dude  and  his  bride, 

With  bows  and  quiver, 

And  dog  fish  liver, 
And  the  ictas  of  his  curious  tribe. 

Camped  below, 

In  the  beauteous  glow, 

Such  a  "  gypsy  "  crew  so  novel  and  bold; 

In  their  long  canoes, 

And  moccasin  shoes, 
From  the  land  of  the  Totem  pole. 

Dotted  all  over, 

Like  pigs  in  clover, 

The  wickyups  cover  Ballast  isle; 

Brown  flitched  salmon, 

Pappooses  agammon, 
Pots  and  kettles  in  curious  pile. 

When  picking's  o'er 

We'll  have  no  more 

The  smell  that  comes  from  Ballast  isle ; 

Glad  then  my  eyes 

My  spirits  rise, 
For  they've  gone  back  to  their  paradise. 

[  Ballast  isle  is  the  camping  spot  near  Seattle  of  the  Indians  during  their  stop 
over  to  and  from  the  hop  fields.] 


INDIANS    IN    THE    HOP    FIELDS  163 

Hop  picking  on  bright  days  in  the  valleys  of  Western  Washington  is  the  de- 
light of  the  native.  It  is  for  him  and  all  his  kith  and  kin,  a  joy  unspeakable. 
He  comes  from  near  and  far.  He  will  travel  hundreds  of  miles  in  his  big  canim 
with  his  full  household  and  all  his  earthly  possessions  to  enjoy  the  delightful 
season  as  much  for  his  real  love  for  it  as  for  the  money  that  he  knows  will  al- 
ways come  at  the  close.  Then  the  hop  field  is  redolent  of  perfume  and  melody. 
The  fields  are  alive  with  pickers;  the  air  is  joyous  with  sound.  There  is  a  rich- 
ness and  coloring  in  the  surrounding  which  form  a  perpetual  delight.  There  is 
a  novelty  to  the  beholder  and  a  rurality  of  scene  so  peculiar,  that  makes  one 
feel  as  if  they  were  in  some  enchanted  country.  If  you  have  never  witnessed  a 
season  of  hop  picking  you  have  missed  a  rare  old  time-treat  which  has  its  equal 
only  in  the  maple  woods  of  the  East  during  sugar  making  time,  or  in  the  co'n 
shuckin'  days  of  old  Kentuck,  "when  the  mast  am  fallin'  and  the  darkies  am  a 
singin'  and  raccoon  and  possum  am  simtnerin'  in  the  pot." 

In  addition  to  its  scenic  beauties  and  pleasant  surroundings  a  hop  field  is  a 

sanitarium   for  the  invalid,  and  a  resting 
place  for  the  weary  and  overworked. 

Ranking  next  to  the  delightful  exhilerat- 
ing  smell  of  the  fresh  pine  woods  of  Puget 
Sound  is  the  rich  agreeable  odor  of  the  hop 
fields.  The  hazy  half  humid  air  of  the  lazy 
September  days,  the  variegated  coloring  of 
thousands  of  native  pickers  chattering  in 
their  gutteral  Chinook;  the  heavy  foliaged 
banks  of  deep,  intensely  green  fields  of 
vines,  with  the  equally  deep  green  of  the 
conifera  woods  in  the  background;  the  white 
canvas  tents,  the  lines  of  curling  smoke  as- 
cending heavenward;  the  half  agreeable 

smell  of  frying  salmon,  the  universal  meal  of  the  brownskinned  Indians;  the 
mingling  and  assimilation  of  a  thousand  rural  and  novel  et  ceteras,  form  pictures 
and  attractions  seen  no  where  else  on  earth  save  in  a  Washington  hop  field. 
They  are  delights  which  enjoyed  once,  never  are  obliterated  from  the  pleasant 
memories  of  the  beholder. 

There  is  not  a  rural  panacea  or  health  resort  from  Southern  California  to  Van- 
couver island  that  will  afford  a  tithe  of  the  good  solid  enjoyment  with  the  re- 
vivifying influence  so  beneficial  to  constitutions  or  shattered  nerves. 

Six  o'clock  in  the  morning  finds  the  fields  redolent  of  odor,  musical  with 
sound  and  swarming  with  pickers.  Poles  laden  with  wet  vines  are  falling  here, 
there  and  everywhere.  There  are  buckets,  baskets,  boxes,  babies  and  blankets 
in  endless  admixture,  while  white,  black  and  Indian  are  taking  stations.  Drop- 


164 


THE    SIWASH 


ping  polls,  like  snowflakes  falling,  are  heaping  in  miniature  mountains  in  every 
row.  So  it  goes.  Day  in,  day  out,  from  morn  to  night,  throughout  the  season, 
until  the  last  pole  has  been  plucked  and  the  last  load  rolled  into  the  mammouth 
kiln. 

Indians  make  the  best  pickers,  and  among  the  Indians  the  klootchman  ranks 
supreme.  She  picks  hops  while  the  lazy,  indolent  brave  plays  cards  or  lounges 
in  the  shadow  of  his  rakish  tepee.  His  great  delights  are  in  card  playing  and 
pony  racing.  Those  of  the  interior  will  travel  for  days  across  the  mountains 
every  autumn,  not  to  pick  hops  but  to  horse  race  on  Sunday.  Sunday  is  their 
big  day,  a  day  of  carousing,  gambling  and  racing.  On  those  days  all  the  vil- 
lages in  the  valley  are  overrun  with  the  pickers  in  holiday  garb  of  fancy  colors. 
Then  assemble  a  cosmopolitan  crowd  not  greatly  unlike  such  as  gather  at  fair 
time  in  the  far  famed  Nijni  Novgorod  from  the  steppes  of  Tartary  or  Siberia. 
The  Yakimas  and  Klickitats  and  other  interior  tribes,  male  and  female  alike, 
are  scampering  about  on  long  haired  ponies,  while  the  more  sedate  Puyallups, 

Nisquallys,  Tulalips,  and  dozens  of  other 
coast  tribes  trudge  hither  and  thither, 
grunting  and  muttering  and  poking  their 
fingers  and  noses  into  anything  and 
everything  which  can  be  eaten  or  worn. 
Night  drives  them  to  their  various  camps, 
some  scattered  miles  away  in  various 
parts  of  the  valleys,  and  the  following 
Sunday  the  scene  is  repeated. 

Near  Puyallup  in  a  long  reach  of  level 
ground  the  Indians  have  raced  for  years 
at  hop  picking  time,  and  so  great  is  the 
rivalry  and  excitement  of  the  sport  that 
the  whole  interim  from  one  autumn  till 
the  next  is  given  up  in  preparation  and  training  of  horse  flesh  with  which  to 
outrun  rival  steeds  on  the  race  course.  Sometimes  but  two,  at  other  times  six 
or  eight  horses  will  enter  in  a  single  race.  The  race  is  always  a  running  race 
and  the  Indians  mount  without  any  reference  to  weight,  handicap,  jockey  or 
saddle.  A  big  Indian  will  be  seen  mounted  on  a  diminutive  wooly  pony,  and 
will  sail  over  the  course  like  a  meteor,  his  long  black  locks  streaming  in  the 
wind.  Bets  of  ponies,  lodges,  blankets,  saddles,  knives,  money  and  everything 
and  anything  tangible  and  movable  will  be  staked  on  the  result  of  a  race  and 
paid  with  as  much  nonchalence  as  a  thousand  pounds  Sterling  would  be  paid  on 
Epsom  Downs.  Often  there  are  seen  at  these  Sunday  races  3,000  people.  Such 
days  and  places  are  the  paradise  of  the  gambler,  contraband  whiskey  vendor  and 
trashy  whites  generally.  They  congregate  like  vultures  at  a  carrion  feed. 


STONE  HATCHETS   OF    PUGET  SOUND  TRIBES 


INDIANS    IN    THE    HOP    FIELDS 


165 


Only  a  goodly  number  of  United  States  deputy  marshals  prevents  downright 
and  open  handed  robbery  and  vice. 

The  close  of  the  picking  season  always  finds  the  principal  towns  flooded  with 
returning  pickers  and  the  dock  fronts  lined  with  long,  lank  Indian  canoes.  The 
Indians  are  spendthrifts,  and  they  plant  the  profits  of  the  picking  season  as 
generously  as  princes  of  the  realm.  Their  canoes  are  laden  with  brie  a  brae  from 
the  Boston  man's  store  as  long  as  the  money  lasts  or  as  long  as  there  is  room 
to  store  them. 

They  always  bring  with  them  from  their  mysterious  northern  lands  the  fruits 
of  the  chase  on  land  or  sea,  and  the  work- 
manship of  rude  hands,  for  barter  with  the 
whites.  Mats  of  reeds,  images,  miniature 
canoes,  bladders  of  fish  oil,  slabs  of  seal  meat, 
dried  elk  and  bear,  seal  skins,  beaver  skins, 
pelts,  sea  otter  skins,  and  such  like,  form 
their  chief  staples  in  trade.  .  These  are  gen- 
erally bartered  on  the  trip  down,  for  eatables, 
while  waiting  for  the  maturing  of  the  hop 
fields,  as  they  are  most  always  here  weeks 
before  the  time  for  picking. 

The  coast  Indians  come  generally  in  fleets 
of  a  dozen  to  twenty  or  thirty  big  canoes, 
numbering  fifty  or  one  hundred  pickers, 
who  are  generally  presided  over  by  some 
scion  of  a  royal  line  or  by  some  head  man  elected  to  chieftianship,  much 
as  the  whites  elect  their  officials.  If  there  is  any  tribal  restrictions  or 
dictatorial  authority  by  the  chief  at  home,  it  is  dropped  when  they  start  on 
their  long  water  journeys,  sometimes  of  many  hundred  miles,  to  the  hop  fields. 

The  going  and  coming  of  the  Washington  hop  pickers  is  as  regular  as  the 
annual  migration  of  water  fowl  or  the  rotation  of  the  seasons,  and  are  ever  a 
source  of  attraction  and  interest. 


QUINIAULT   SEA  OTTER   LOOKOUT 


CHAPTER  XLI 

LEGEND   OF  THE   CRUCIFIXION 

The  Siwash  have  a  legendary  theory  and  story  of  the  crucifixion.  Hezekiah 
Butterworth  picked  it  up  while  on  one  of  his  vacation  jaunts  to  the  west,  and 
tells  it  very  prettily,  though  it  has  been  told  by  a  score  of  writers  and  is  one  of 
the  first  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  white  man: 

Long,  long  ago,  say  the  Siwashes,  in  the  splended  sunsets  of  the  Whulge, 
or  Puget  Sea,  there  came  a  canoe  of  copper  sailing,  sailing.  The  painted  forest 
lords  and  feathered  maidens  saw  it  from  the  bluffs  —  in  the  sunrise  at  times,  or 
in  the  moonsets,  but  ever  in  the  red  sunsets,  sailing,  sailing.  The  gleam  of  cop- 
per in  the  red  sunset  is  more  beautiful  than  gold;  and  ever  and  anon  on  the 
blue  wave  was  seen  the  burnished  gleam  of  the  copper  canoe.  On  it  came,  and 
the  solitary  voyager  in  the  copper  canoe  landed  at  last  on  the  Whulge,  under 
the  crystal  dome  of  Mount  Rainier,  and  he  shadowed  among  the  cool  firs  of  the 
headlands  there  the  boat  that  flashed  out  the  rays  of  sunset  light. 

He  called  together  the  tribes.  They  came  in  canoes  from  everywhere.  He 
began  to  teach  and  preach.  "  I  come  among  you  as  a  preacher  of  righteous- 
ness," he  said,  or  thoughts  like  these.  "All  that  men  can  possess  in  this 
world,  or  any  other,  is  righteousness.  If  a  man  have  that,  he  is  rich,  though 
he  be  poor,  and  his  soul  shall  rise,  rise,  rise,  and  live  forever. 

"Oh  Siwashes,"  he  preached,  "  the  unseen  power  that  thinks  and  causes  you 
to  act  is  the  soul.  It  does  not  die  when  the  breath  vanishes.  It  goes  away 
with  the  unseen  life  and  inhabits  the  life  unseen.  You  have  never  seen  the 
soul,  or  life,  but  death  is  only  the  beginning  of  a  longer  life,  and  the  soul  with 
righteous  longings  shall  be  happy  forever. 

"  But  war  is  wrong — the  spear,  the  arrow,  and  the  spilling  of  human  blood. 
Man  may  not  kill  his  brother.  The  soul  was  meant  for  peace." 

He  preached  these  or  like  doctrines,  a  beautiful  gospel,  like  the  Sermon  on 
.the  Mount. 

The  warlike  tribes  rejected  the  word.  They  nailed  the  Saviour  who  came 
gleaming  over  the  violet  sea  in  the  copper  canoe,  to  a  tree,  and  he  died  there. 
They  took  down  his  body,  but,  wonder  of  wonders!  it  rose  from  the  dead,  and 


167 


appeared  to  all  the  tribes,  and  the  risen  Saviour  preached  the  same  doctrine  of 
righteousness  and  immortality  as  before.  The  legend  may  have  been  derived 
from  the  preaching  of  some  forest  priest  in  some  distant  place,  for  the  Catholic 
missionaries  were  on  the  coast  of  California  before  1700. 

Picturesque  and  profoundly  romantic  and  imaginative  is  the  Siwash  legend 
of  the  two  grand  old  mountains,  Rainier  and  Hood,  one  in  Washington,  one 
in  Oregon,  with  the  mighty  Columbia  rolling  between.  It  is  the  legend  of  a 
stupendous  battle  royal,  between  mighty  monarchs,  and  is  as  well  the  sequel 
to  the  cascades  and  rocks  that  break  the  broad  current  of  the  noble  stream. 
The  foundation  for  the  legend  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  within  the  limits 
of  the  Indian  tradition  or  history  of  the  past,  Mt.  Rainier  was  in  active 
eruption. 

Long  ago,  almost  beyond  the  time  when  Indian  tradition  and  legend  extend 
the  spirits  of  the  mountains  fought  a  long  and  bloody  battle.  Rocks  were 
hurled  from  the  summits  at  the  heads  of  the  rival  sentinels  of  the  cascades 
and  a  great  commotion  was  caused  throughout  all  the  land.  The  Siwash  of 
the  Sound  say  their  tradition  teaches  them  that  it  was  the  evil  and  unruly 
spirits  on  Mt.  Hood  that  brought  about  the  great  battle.  They  would  not 
keep  still  but  were  bent  on  raising  mischief,  and  they  did  it.  When  the  great 
spirits  of  Rainier  could  not  stand  it  any  longer  and  could  not  sleep,  they  rose 
in  rebellion  with  a  mighty  noise  that  shook  the  mountains  and  the  sea  and 
began  a  war  on  the  noisy  demons  of  Mt.  Hood.  Great  rocks  were  picked  up 
and  hurled  back  and  forth,  some  so  heavy  that  they  could  not  be  thrown  the 
great  distance  and  they  fell  short  landing  in  the  mighty  Columbia  with  a  great 
splash  and  making  the  earth  tremble  from  their  violence.  This  quieted  the 
spirits  of  Mt.  Hood,  since  which  they  have  had  peace;  but  the  waters  were 
•dammed  up  and  the  cascades  were  formed. 


*  .  i  £  '  ±.?rr±* 


CHAPTER  XUI 

ROMANCE   IN   REAL  LIFE 

A  long  time  ago  an  English  whaling  bark,  after  many  months  of  hardship 
on  the  voyage,  was  caught  in  a  heavy  gale  off  Vancouver  island  coast.  After 
a  gallant  effort  to  save  the  ship  and  ride  out  the  storm,  the  captain  and  crew 
took  to  the  life-boat,  and  though  a  long  way  from  land  and  with  the  tempest 
howling  about  them,  struck  bravely  out  for  safety.  Nothing  was  ever  heard 
or  seen  of  the  sinking  ship.  But  one  of  the  brave  crew  reached  land  to  live 
to  tell  the  awful  tale  of  shipwreck  and  death  which  engulfed  his  companions. 
It  was  while  trying  to  make  land  through  the  surf  of  Queen  Charlotte  sound, 
that  the  captain  and  crew  went  down.  The  empty  and  battered  boat  was  cast 
upon  the  shore  and  with  it  one  half-drowned  sailor  who,  after  a  time  was  able 
to  rise  from  the  sand  and  stagger  about. 

It  was  during  the  stormy  winter  of  1843,  a  time  long  antedating  the  first 
general  appearance  of  the  settlers.  In  all  the  northwest  there  was  scarcely  a 
clearing  or  hamlet.  An  occasional  white-winged  sail  dotted  the  water  horizon 
or  came  to  anchor  in  some  quiet  bay  or  harbor  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  or  the 
still  less  frequented  waters  of  Queen  Charlotte  sound.  Ever  and  anon  a 
Hudsons  Bay  company's  trapper  or  voyager  emerged  from  the  bush  upon  the 
shore  to  remain  a  few  days  and  then  would  be  gone  again  prosecuting  his 
search  after  skins.  That  was  all  there  was  to  the  civilization  of  the  inhospit- 
able northwest.  The  land  all  about  belonged  to  the  simple  children  of  nature 
the  Indian,  the  beaver  and  the  bear.  Such  was  the  situation  when  the  hero 
of  our  story  was  thrown  almost  drowned  upon  the  beach  of  Queen  Charlotte 
sound.  Scarcely  had  the  half-drowned  mariner  reached  dry  land  than  he  was 
set  upon  by  a  party  of  Indians  and  taken  prisoner.  He  was  escorted  to  the 
village  of  the  head  chief  and  the  usual  council  of  war  held  by  the  braves  to 
determine  his  fate.  The  prisoner  knew  no  word  of  the  Chinook  jargon  or  the 
King  George  Indian  tongue  and  could  not  gain  the  slightest  inkling  of  the 
drift  of  the  pow-wow.  For  a  time  he  felt  that  he  was  reserved  for  a  fate  ten 
times  worse  than  death  at  sea,  and  he  cursed  fate  that  he  was  not  permitted  to 
go  down  with  his  companions  and  leave  his  bones  to  whiten  and  bleach  in  the 
cavernous  depths  of  old  ocean.  But  he  was  not  to  be  burned  at  the  stake,  nor 


169 

killed  and  eaten.  The  Indians  at  the  close  of  their  council  made  no  demon- 
stration or  dangerous  move,  and  he  soon  learned  that  he  was  to  remain  a  pris- 
oner and  slave.  His  English  boat  was  pulled  upon  the  beach  and  left  to  rot 
away.  Time  passed  on  and  days  run  into  months  and  months  swelled  into 
years.  The  sailor  soon  fell  into  the  style  of  living  of  the  natives  and  was 
adopted  into  the  tribe,  learned  their  strange  tongue  and  customs,  sat  in  their 
councils,  went  with  them  on  their  long  canoe  voyages  to  the  south  and  towards 
the  north,  followed  them  in  their  hunts  for  the  bear,  beaver  and  elk  ;  engaged 
in  their  wars  with  their  enemies,  dressed  in  their  simple  style,  and  was  in  every 
way  save  by  blood  an  Indian. 

For  five  long  years  the  prisoner  lived  with  his  captors  on  the  shores  of  Queen 
Charlotte  sound,  but  there  came  a  time  when  savage  life  palled  and  the  longing 
to  see  the  face  of  a  white  man  and  speak  his  natural  language  grew  too  strong 
to  be  shaken  off.  All  the  time  he  had  lived  with  the  Indians  he  had  not  seen 
a  white  person.  So  in  1848  the  sailor  whose  true  name  was  William  Jannan, 
sought  an  opportunity  to  escape  from  the  village  of  his  adopted  people.  He 
headed  his  canoe  to  the  south  and  quickly  and  quietly  paddled  away  toward 
the  waters  of  Puget  Sound,  hoping  to  fall  in  with  some  trapper  on  the  beach, 
or  mayhap  catch  a  sail  in  the  waters  towards  which  he  was  going.  Without 
mishap  he  got  as  far  south  as  Point  Wilson,  now  Point  Wilson  light  house, 
near  Port  Townsend,  but  had  the  misfortune  here  to  be  overtaken  by  the 
very  people  with  whom  he  had  lived  so  long.  Broken  and  bewildered  by  his 
recapture,  poor  Jarman  was  escorted  back  to  the  village  in  triumphant  glee  by 
his  swarthy  friends,  now  turned  to  foes.  The  policy  of  the  Indians  again 
proved  to  be  to  keep  him  among  them  as  an  unwilling  prisoner  and  for  four 
years  more  Jarman  remained  a  captive  and  prisoner.  Afraid  that  he  would 
again  attempt  to  escape  the  Indians  took  him  to  Queen  Charlotte  island,  and 
he  was  not  permitted  to  return  to  the  main  land.  Notwithstanding  the  close 
surveilance  kept  upon  him  the  sailor  at  the  end  of  four  years,  a  second  time 
managed  to  get  away  and  this  time  made  good  his  escape.  By  the  time  he 
reached  the  Sound  on  his  second  escape  many  settlers  had  arrived  and  Jarman 
found  company  and  protection.  Such  was  his  wild  and  uncouth  appearance 
that  his  later  friends  gave  him  the  sobriquet  of ' '  Blanket  Bill. ' '  He  took  up  his 
residence  on  the  Sound,  lived  at  Seattle,  Port  Townsend  and  Whatcom,  or 
about  the  settlements  which  as  time  passed  on  grew  to  those  towns.  Blanket 
Bill  after  his  nine  years  of  wonderful  life  among  the  savages  never  could  quite 
get  over  the  habits  and  peculiarities  he  had  learned,  and  consequently  he 
became  a  notorious  character  among  the  white  settlers  on  the  Sound.  He  was 
living  up  to  a  very  short  time  ago  somewhere  in  the  bounds  of  Whatcom 
county. 


JOHN  HOWELL 
IMPORTER I 


